A Hollywood movie star, known for playing a drunk hippy-pirate yet amassing a $650 million fortune through films that grossed $3.6bn in profit – is a man that needs no introduction: Mr Johnny Depp. Born on June 9th, 1963 in Kentucky, to a mother who he once described as: “the meanest human being I’ve ever met in my life”. Depp is a man that isn’t afraid to say what he really thinks.
Johnny dropped out of school at 15 years of age to become a guitarist in a garage band. At just 20 years old, Depp married his then-girlfriend Lori, while working as a ballpoint-pen salesman to support their household. It was only when Depp visited Los Angeles and was told by fellow actor friend Nicholas Cage, there was ‘plenty of money to be made in Hollywood’ that Depp decided to give acting a shot.
After landing his first feature film role in Nightmare on Elm Street, Depp went on to work in a number of teen-oriented films. It wasn’t until the early 90s, when Depp worked with Tim Burton on Edward Scissorhands, that he gained critical acclaim and popularity as an actor. Depp would then go on to work with Burton in a number of dark, serious and eccentric roles that became his signature style.
In Depp’s personal life, there is as much drama off-screen as there is on-screen. Depp’s many unhealthy relationships with women, booze and other substances – has kept his life so heavily publicised in the press. From headlines that he’s dirt broke from his frivolous over-spending to his explosive divorce with Amber Heard and endless court battles – one place Johnny Depp continues to thrive, is in the headlines.
Depp, a constant subject of salacious stories, is uncompromisingly raw and real – giving him the potential to be easily misunderstood and vilified for it. Although Depp has never been a wallflower – it was revealed he constantly refused the word “no” on set and was very hostile to people who worked under him. This, along with his copious consumption of drugs and alcohol, fueled his many tirades. With a history of addiction, bipolar and self-harm, Depp, a parent of two adult children Lily-Rose and Jack, doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a ‘stable father’.
The real Johnny Depp is undoubtedly an eccentric personality, a person who is full of wit, arrogance, grandeur and holds an immensely strong sense of entitlement. Johnny’s qualities have him labelled in the media as “chaotic”, “troubled” or “a bad boy” – but perhaps he even revels in the idea of his own notoriety, he does have boy band roots after all and a reputation that precedes him.
Only a person who truly knows Depp could tell you who he really is, but one thing is certain: Johnny Depp will always be controversial.
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/bio
https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-trouble-with-johnny-depp-666010/?sub_action=logged_in
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/07/johnny-depp200907