Synopsis Born in Kentucky in 1963, Johnny Depp, landed his first legitimate movie role in the film Nightmare

on Elm Street (1984) after having taken on several smaller parts. Afterwards, he began studying acting. The lessons paid off in 1987, when he landed a role on the television show 21 Jump Street. He has since starred in several popular films and gained notoriety for his work on the silver screen. Depp has also become known for taking on darker roles, Quotes "I fear [dancing] more than anything in the world. Doing a film when it's choreographed and you're a character, it's alright. But in life I'd rather swallow a bag of hair." Early Life Actor Johnny Depp was born John Christopher Depp II, in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, to parents John and Betty Sue Depp. Depp's father worked as a civil engineer, and his mother came from full-blooded Cherokee stock, and worked as a waitress and homemaker. The youngest of four children, Depp was withdrawn and a self-admitted oddball. "I made odd noises as a child," he later revealed in an interview. "Just did weird things, like turn off light switches twice. I think my parents thought I had Tourette's syndrome." Johnny and his family moved frequently to accommodate his father's job, finally landing in Miramar, Florida, when Johnny was 7 years old. The family lived in a motel for nearly a year, until his father found a job. Depp hated his new home and, by the age of 12 began smoking, experimenting with drugs, and engaging in self-harm due to the stress of family problems. "Puberty was very vague," he has said. "I literally locked myself in a room and played guitar." In 1978, when Depp was 15, his parents got divorced. As the youngest of four, it became Johnny's job to go to his father's office and pick up the weekly child-support money. The split caused a rift between Johnny and his father. At 16, Depp dropped out of high school and joined the garage band, The Kids. Introduction to Acting In 1983, at the age of 20, Johnny met and married 25-year-old makeup artist Lori Allison. That same year, the couple moved to L.A. with Depp's band in the hopes of striking it big. Still living on a shoestring budget, Depp and his band mates supported themselves by selling pens for a telemarketing firm. A year later, Depp fell into acting when his wife introduced him to her ex-boyfriend, actor Nicolas Cage. Cage saw potential in Depp, and introduced the hopeful musician to a Hollywood agent. After several small roles as a film extra, Depp landed his first legitimate movie role in the horror film Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). By 1985, the Kids had broken upand so had Depp's marriage. After his split with Allison, Depp met actress Sherilyn Fenn, whom he met on the set of the short film, Dummies (1985). The couple dated, and were briefly engaged, but split shortly after. After their break-up, Depp then met and proposed to actress Jennifer Grey; their romance was also short-lived. Depp started to study acting in earnest, first in classes at the Loft Studio in Los Angeles and then with a private coach. The lessons paid off in 1987, when he replaced actor Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular Canadian-filmed television series 21 Jump Street. The role thrust Depp into almost immediate stardom. He became a teen idol overnight; a title that he greatly resented. When his contract on Jump Street expired in 1989, he leapt at the opportunity to pursue weightier roles.

Mainstream Success In 1990, Depp starred in the John Waters '50s-kitsch musical Cry-Baby (1990), which became a cult hit and succeeded in changing his image. That same year, he received an opportunity to exhibit his versatility as an actor in the titular role of Tim Burton's fantasy film, Edward Scissorhands. The movie not only established Depp as an A-list actor, but it also grossed more than $54 million at the box office. Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprise critics and audiences alike. It was during shooting for Edward Scissorhands that Depp finally met co-star Winona Ryder, whom he'd been eyeing since a brief meeting at the premier for her film Great Ball of Fire (1989). The two began dating on the set, and soon became a Hollywood power couple. Five months after their first date, Depp and Ryder became engaged. To solidify their love, Depp even had "Winona Forever" tattooed on his right arm. The couple split, however, in 1993 after Ryder's parents forbade their daughter to marry. Outside of his personal life, Depp continued to flourish, gaining critical acclaim and increasing popularity for his work. Several of his most notable roles included his role as the social misanthrope Sam in Benny & Joon (1993), which earned him a Golden Globe nod, and Gilbert in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993), which cast him as a young man dissatisfied with the confines of his small-town life. Troubled Image and Relationship In August of that 1993, he and two business partners bought The Viper Club in L.A., which instantly became the hippest spot on the Sunset Strip. Depp began using the club as an opportunity to introduce patrons to music from his newly formed band P, which offered popular shows at the venue. But tragedy hit the club on October 31 of that same year, when teen heartthrob and critically acclaimed actor River Phoenix suffered a drug overdose outside the club. Phoenix died later that evening. Depp's life began losing control as the star dabbled with drugs and spiraled into a deep depression. Around this time he also started a very public, destructive relationship with the waifish supermodel Kate Moss. Depp and Moss constantly made headlines for their passionate and unpredictable behavior; in 1994, Depp famously trashed a New York hotel room after one of the couple's many fights. Depp's wild behavior didn't seem to have an effect on his professional life. In 1994 he re-teamed with Burton in the biopic Ed Wood, about the famously awful B-movie director. The film won Depp critical acclaim, and another Golden Globe nomination. Other notable films in the late '90s include Don Juan DeMarco (1995), in which Depp plays a character who believes he is the famous fictional character Don Juan, and Donnie Brasco (1997), which featured Depp as an undercover FBI agent seeking to infiltrate the Bonano crime family. In 1998, Depp split from long-time girlfriend Moss, and took the role of journalist Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego in Terry Gilliam's adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. During filming, Depp cultivated a strong friendship with Thompson, which lasted until Thompson's death in 2005. Depp would later finance the writer's funeral. Box Office Star For Depp's next film project, he tried his hand at sci-fi horror with The Astronaut's Wife in 1999. The same year, he teamed up with Burton once again on Sleepy Hollow, starring as a prim, driven Ichabod Crane. He appeared the following year in the small but popular romantic drama Chocolat, followed by a big-budget role as real-life cocaine kingpin George Jung in Blow in 2001. Depp's next film was the terror drama From Hell in 2001 and Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico in 2002. In April of that year, Paradis gave birth to the couple's second child, Jack. In 2004, Depp earned an Academy Award nomination for his starring role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the family adventure Pirates of the Caribbean. The film was a box office smash, and led to the creation of a Pirates franchise. At the end of that year, Depp also turned in a critically acclaimed performance in Finding Neverland, in which he starred as Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie. The film earned him more than 10 award nominations, including both Academy and Golden Globe nods.

In 2006, Depp returned as Captain Jack Sparrow for the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which broke a box office record in reaching the highest weekend tally ever. The third installment fared well too. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) was released on Memorial Day weekend, bringing in $138.8 million. Saying goodbye to Captain Jack, Depp took on one of theater's most notorious characters in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, also in 2007. Directed by Tim Burton and co-starring Helena Bonham Carter, the dark and gory musical tells the tale of a barber kills some of his customers who then turned into pies made by his downstairs neighbor. Depp netted a Golden Globe Award for his work on the film. In 2009, two Depp filmsThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Public Enemiespremiered with mixed results. He returned to box office success with the 2010 film adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland. For the project, Depp again teamed up with Tim Burton to take on the character of the Mad Hatter. The film, starring Mia Wasikowska as Alice, brought in more than $116 million in its opening weekend. Once again roving on the high seas, Depp reprised his role of Jack Sparrow in the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series in 2011. He returned to independent film that same year with The Rum Diary, based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson. Depp also starred in the Tim Burton comedy Dark Shadows (2012). In the film, he plays Barnabas Collins, a vampire who escapes imprisonment and returns to his family home. There, Collins tries to help his descendents played by Michelle Pfeiffer, Chlo Grace Moretz and Jonny Lee Miller. Depp was a longtime fan of the film's source materialthe late 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadowsand encouraged friend Burton to bring it to the big screen. Unfortunately, Depp's next big budget endeavor didn't fare nearly as well as his earlier films. In 2013, the A-list actor teamed up with Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer once again in the Disney film The Lone Ranger. The filmcosting more than $215 million to produce with big names like Pirates director Gore Verbinski and The Social Network (2010) star Armie Hammer at the helmperformed horribly at the box office and received lackluster reviews. The film debuted in second place at the box office during its opening weekend, but only grossed $48.9 million. Disney executives expected a potential $190 million loss because of the film. In 2013, Depp was also scheduled to begin filming Black Mass, a biopic highlighting the life of Whitey Bulger, however the film stopped production in the summer due to Depp's backing out of the project. Depp was asked to take a 50 percent paycut for the role, reducing his pay to $10 million. Personal Life Around the beginning of the turn of the century, Depp met another person who would become an important figure in his life; while filming the sci-fi drama The Ninth Gate (1999) in France, Johnny met French actress, singer and model Vanessa Paradis. Paradis became pregnant with the couple's first child later that year. In May of 1999, the couple welcomed daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp. Depp and Paradis had their second child, son Jack John Christopher Depp III, three years later. In 2012, stories began to circulate that Depp and Paradis had split up. Depp initially denied these rumors, but his representative confirmed the couple's break-up in June. In a statement given to Entertainment Tonight, Depp's representative said that the pair "have amicably separated" and asked that people "respect their privacy" and "the privacy of their children." Depp and Paradis had been together for nearly 14 years when they split. Depp met another future love interest on the set of a film while still publicly involved with Paradis. While filming The Rum Diary, he met co-star Amber Heard. The couple was seen publicly together for the first time in 2012, not long after Depp's split with Paradis. The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve in 2013.

Johnny Depp Facts

Name: Johnny Depp Birth Name: John Christopher Depp III

Height: 5' 10" Sex: M Nationality: American Date: June 9, 1963 Birth Place: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA Occupation: actor, director, musician Education: high scool (dropped out) Loft Studio in Los Angeles, California (studied with Peggy Feury) Husband/Wife: Lori Allison (married in 1983; divorced in 1985) Relationship: Vanessa Paradis (actress; French; born on December 22, 1972; dating as of June 1998 until present), Kate Moss (model; engaged in July 1995; separated in 1997), Winona Ryder (actress; separated in 1993), Jennifer Grey (actress), Sherilyn Fenn (actress) Father: John Christopher Depp (city engineer) Mother: Betty Sue Palmer (waitress) Sister: Christie Dembrowski (personal manager; born in 1961) Brother: D.P. Depp (screenwriter; older) Son: Jack John Christopher Depp III (born on April 9, 2002; mother: Vanessa Paradis) Daughter: Lily-Rose Melody (born on May 24, 1999; mother: Vanessa Paradis) Claim to fame: as Officer Tom Hanson on TV Series: 21 Jump Street (1987)

John Christopher Depp III was born June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. The son of John Christopher, a city engineer and Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress and homemaker (Depp has a tattoo of his mother's name on his left arm.Never the studious teenager and even more distraught by the divorce of his parents, Depp delved into the world of experimental drugs, and picked up a whole new passion: the guitar. The high-school dropout spent his days playing guitar in a garage band, after he taught himself how to play with the instrument his mother bought him. on fire and rocking Depp joined a rock band called The Flame, with whom he toured the Florida nightclub circuit. The Flame eventually dubbed themselves the Kids. Hoping to strike a chord as famous rockers, the Kids moved to Los Angeles. Depp took a job selling ballpoint pens over the phone in order to support himself, but he and his fellow rockers decided to break up and move on. Bigger and better things awaited Depp, who at the time was married to makeup artist Lori Allison. Their marriage was short-lived, but it did lead to something: Lori introduced Johnny to Nicolas Cage, who saw star potential in the young Depp. Thanks to their encounter, Depp was cast in his feature film debut, in the slasher Nightmare on Elm Street, in 1984. After a starring role in the campy Private Resort, a bit part in 1986's Platoon, and acting lessons at L.A.'s Loft Studio, Depp was cast as Officer Tom Hanson in the teen crime drama, 21 Jump Street. Depp initially refused the role, but eventually accepted it and remained on the show -- and on the cover of every teen magazine -- for 3 years. To his dismay, Depp became a heartthrob posted on the wall of every teenage girl, a role he wanted no part in. cutting away at fame Depp was given the opportunity to prove his worth as the eccentric title role in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands, in 1990. He starred in Cry-Baby that same year, and even made an appearance in the final installment of Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, in which he was credited as Oprah Noodlemantra. The brooding actor made it a point to always take on different characterizations. He certainly never became pigeonholed, despite the oddball, wacky characters he usually portrayed, as seen in 1993's

Benny & Joon and 1994's Ed Wood. Depp made Hollywood and critics take notice with his incredible portrayal of a guy tired of his small-town lifestyle in 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape. While his work in 1995's Don Juan DeMarco and Nick of Time didn't garner much attention, Depp was highly praised for his turn as an FBI undercover agent who infiltrates the mob opposite Al Pacino, in 1997's Donnie Brasco. He also took time to write, direct and star in The Brave that year. In 1998, Depp starred as the alter ego of buddy Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, co-starring Benicio Del Toro, and tried his hand at sci-fi in 1999's The Astronaut's Wife, along with gorgeous Charlize Theron. He re-teamed with Tim Burton to star in the magnificently gothic adaptation of the Halloween legend, 1999's Sleepy Hollow, in a brilliant portrayal of constable Ichabod Crane. Depp began the year with roles in The Man Who Cried (co-starring good friend Christina Ricci), Before Night Falls, and the small film that could, Chocolat, as a gypsy who falls for Juliette Binoche. a deep black book While Depp has had his share of beautiful co-stars, he also had a wide variety of leading ladies in his own life, such as ex-fiances Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey and Winona Ryder, with whom he was engaged for three years. The tattoo in honor of his Edward Scissorhands co-star once read Winona Forever; it has since been laser-altered to read Wino Forever. Besides Winona, Depp's most famous ex-fiance is Kate Moss. Depp and the waifish model were engaged from 1995 to 1997, and had an on again, off again relationship. Depp presently shares a house in France with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer, and the mother of their daughter, Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999. The only reason Depp is ever away from home is in order to fulfill his film contracts; he loves his daughter so much that he doesn't even keep a picture of her in his wallet, for fear of it crinkling. Despite Depp's critical acclaim as an actor, he has surprisingly never won an Oscar, although he has been honored with the 1990 ShoWest Male Star of Tomorrow award, the 1996 London Critics Circle Actor of the Year award for Ed Wood and the 1998 Honorary Cesar. And even with Depp's acclaim as one of his generation's best actors, his name has had its share of tabloid smears, especially after River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in 1993 outside the Viper Room, the club Depp owns. Depp also became tabloid fodder when he was arrested for trashing the presidential suite of a Manhattan hotel in 1994 -- he finally paid over $2,000 worth of damages. His bad rep behind him, Depp got rave reviews for his portrayal of George Jung in 2001's Blow. He rounded up 2001 with the Jack the Ripper film, From Hell, alongside Heather Graham, and will next be seen in Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico.