Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on June 9, 1963, Johnny Depp is currently 61 years old. He was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, and grew up in Miramar, Florida. Depp's career spans over four decades, with his first major role in the 1984 horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
Depp's early life was marked by frequent moves due to his father's job as a civil engineer. He began playing the guitar at a young age and considered a career in music before turning to acting. His wiki page provides extensive details about his life and career: Wikipedia: Johnny Depp.
| Occupation | Film Producer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 9 June 1963 |
| Age | 62 Years |
| Birth Place | Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight, and Measurements
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm)
- Weight: Approximately 170 lbs (77 kg)
- Measurements: Not publicly detailed
Depp continued his box-office success with a starring role as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). It also had a positive critical reception, with Depp being nominated again for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. Chocolate Factory was followed by another Burton project, stop-motion animation Corpse Bride (2005), in which Depp voiced the main character, Victor Van Dort. Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates sequels Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007), both of which were major box office successes. He also voiced the character in the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow. According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp in the role of Jack Sparrow was the main reason for many cinema-goers to see a Pirates film.
"We do not accept that there is any ground for believing that the judge may have been influenced by any such general perception as [Depp's lawyer] relies on. In the first place, he does not refer to [Heard's] charitable donation at all in the context of his central findings. On the contrary, he only mentions it in a very particular context... and after he had already reached his conclusions in relation to the 14 incidents... It is clear from a reading of the judgment as a whole that the judge based his conclusions on each of the incidents on his extremely detailed review of the evidence specific to each incident. ... In an approach of that kind there was little need or room for the judge to give weight to any general assessment of Ms. Heard's credibility... we conclude that the appeal has no real prospect of success."
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches |
| Weight | 170 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Johnny Depp has been in several high-profile relationships, including with actresses Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis. His most recent marriage was to Amber Heard, whom he divorced in 2017. Depp has two children, Lily-Rose Depp and John "Jack" Christopher Depp III, with his ex-partner Vanessa Paradis.
As of 2025, Depp's current relationship status is not widely reported, but he remains focused on his career revival.
His other well-received films include Public Enemies (2009), Into the Woods (2014), Black Mass (2015), and Minamata (2020), among others. He portrayed Gellert Grindelwald in the Wizarding World films Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). He has also lent his voice to numerous animated series in addition to the animated film Rango (2011). Outside acting, Depp has produced films through his company Infinitum Nihil, which he founded in 2004. He also formed the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. He was named People's Sexiest Man Alive twice, in 2003 and in 2009. In 2022, Depp won a defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, with the jury awarding him $15 million and Heard $2 million in her countersuit. The highly publicized case sparked widespread debate on defamation, domestic abuse, and male victims of domestic violence, leading to a settlement in December 2022.
Depp's family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called "an inspiration".
Depp's mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of Miramar High School at 16 in 1979 to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. In 1980, Depp began playing in a band called The Kids.
Depp moved to Los Angeles with his band when he was 20. After the band split up, Depp's then-wife Lori Ann Allison introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. After they became drinking buddies, Cage advised him to pursue acting. Depp had been interested in acting since reading a biography of James Dean and watching Rebel Without a Cause. Cage helped Depp get an audition with Wes Craven for A Nightmare on Elm Street; Depp, who had no acting experience, said he "ended up acting by accident". Thanks in part to his catching the eye of Craven's daughter, Depp landed the role of the main character's boyfriend, one of Freddy Krueger's victims.
Depp appeared in three films in 1999. The first was the sci-fi thriller The Astronaut's Wife, co-starring Charlize Theron, which was not a commercial or critical success. The second, Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate, starred Depp as a seller of old books who becomes entangled in a mystery. It was moderately more successful with audiences but received mixed reviews. The third was Burton's adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where Depp played Ichabod Crane opposite Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken. For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone, saying he "always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl". Sleepy Hollow was a commercial and critical success.
In 2015, Depp appeared in two films produced by Infinitum Nihil. The first was comedy-thriller Mortdecai, in which he acted opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. The film was a critical and commercial failure and brought both stars Golden Raspberry nominations. The second film, Black Mass (2015), in which he played Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, was better received. Critics from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety called it one of Depp's best performances to date, and the role earned Depp his third nomination for the Best Actor SAG award. However, the film failed to bring back its production costs. Depp also made a cameo appearance in the critically panned London Fields, starring his then-wife Amber Heard, which was to be released in 2015, but its general release was delayed by litigation until 2018. In addition to his work in films in 2015, French luxury fashion house Dior signed Depp as the face of their men's fragrance, Sauvage, and he was inducted as a Disney Legend.
On May 29, 2022, Depp, who was still awaiting a verdict in his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, made a surprise appearance at a Jeff Beck gig in Sheffield, playing guitar alongside Beck to three classic songs from John Lennon, Marvin Gaye and Jimi Hendrix. Depp joined Beck on his last concert tour in the UK and Europe during June and July and in the United States in October and November, to promote their album 18. In August 2022, he made a cameo appearance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.
Depp opened his first art exhibition A Bunch of Stuff on October 4, 2024, at the Starrett–Lehigh Building in New York City. The exhibition features artworks created by Depp over many decades, with some dating back to his 20s. On September 30, 2024, a special preview event took place, with Depp and some of his friends and family members present, including Jim Jarmusch, Jerry Bruckheimer and Justin Bartha.
Depp married Lori Anne Allison on December 24, 1983, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, when he was 20 and she was 25. She was the sister of his rock band's bassist. The couple moved to Los Angeles County, California to pursue careers in music; Depp found some success with his group The Kids, opening for the Ramones and Iggy Pop, but Allison's career as a record producer was halted after she became deaf in one ear, prompting her to pursue a career as a makeup artist for film and television. Through her connections, Allison was able to introduce Depp to Nicolas Cage. Cage was impressed by Depp and arranged for him to audition for A Nightmare on Elm Street, which became his first film credit. After two years of marriage, their divorce finalized on March 7, 1986. Depp and Allison remained friendly over the years, with her still using Depp as her professional surname and voicing sympathy for him during his defamation trial against his second wife Amber Heard.
In the late 1980s, he was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn. In 1990, he proposed to his Edward Scissorhands co-star Winona Ryder, whom he had begun dating the year prior when she was 17 and he was 26. They ended their relationship in 1993; Depp later had the "Winona Forever" tattoo on his right arm changed to "Wino Forever". Between 1994 and 1998, he was in a relationship with English model Kate Moss. Following his breakup with Moss, Depp began a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis, whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate in France in 1998. They have two children, daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999) and a son, Jack (born 2002). Depp stated that having children has given him a "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything ...You cannot plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny. All the math finally worked." In June 2012, Depp and Paradis announced their separation.
Following the end of his relationship with Vanessa Paradis, Depp began dating actress Amber Heard, with whom he had co-starred in The Rum Diary (2011). Depp and Heard were married in a civil ceremony on February 3, 2015. Heard filed for divorce on May 23, 2016, and obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp, alleging in her court declaration that he had been verbally and physically abusive throughout their relationship, usually while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Depp denied these claims and alleged that she was "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution". A settlement was reached in August 2016, and the divorce was finalized in January 2017. Heard dismissed the restraining order, and they issued a joint statement saying that their "relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm". Depp paid Heard a divorce settlement of US$7 million, which she pledged to donate to the ACLU and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
In 2018, Depp brought a libel lawsuit in the UK against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publishers of The Sun, over an April 2018 article titled "GONE POTTY How Can J K Rowling be "genuinely happy" casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?". The case had a highly publicized trial in July 2020, with both Depp and Heard testifying for several days. Depp's lawyer, David Sherborne, said that Heard had "blatantly lied" in her evidence while NGN's lawyer, Sasha Wass, said that "all the evidence in [the] case and all the supporting evidence of the incidents of violence" leave "no doubt that Mr. Depp regularly and systematically abused his wife".
In November 2020, the High Court of Justice ruled that 12 of the 14 incidents of physical violence alleged by NGN occurred and that in three of them, Depp had put Heard "in fear of her life". The court rejected Depp's claim of a hoax as well as his characterization of Heard as a "gold-digger". On the other hand, the court found that the characterization of Depp as a "wife beater" by The Sun was "substantially true". Following the verdict, Depp resigned from the Fantastic Beasts franchise after being asked to do so by its production company, Warner Bros.
The Depp v. Heard trial took place in Fairfax County, Virginia from April 11 to June 1, 2022. During the trial, Heard accused Depp of domestic abuse, stating that Depp "plunged into the depths of paranoia and violence after binging on drugs and alcohol" during their relationship. On the other hand, Depp accused Heard of several instances of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship.
Depp was also arrested in New York City in 1994 after causing significant damage to his room at The Mark Hotel, where he was staying with Kate Moss, his girlfriend. The charges were dropped against him after he agreed to pay US$9,767 in damages.
In April 2015, Depp and his then-wife Amber Heard breached Australia's biosecurity laws when they failed to declare their two dogs to the customs when they flew to Queensland, where he was working on a film. Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, stating that she had made a mistake due to sleep deprivation. She was placed on a $1,000 one-month good behavior bond for producing a false document; Heard and Depp also released a video in which they apologized for their behavior and urged people to adhere to the biosecurity laws. The Guardian called the case the "highest profile criminal quarantine case" in Australian history.
Depp has struggled with substance abuse for much of his life. He has stated that he began using drugs by taking his mother's "nerve pills" at the age of 11, was smoking at age 12 and by the age of 14 had used "every kind of drugs there were". In a 1997 interview, Depp acknowledged past abuse of alcohol during the filming of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993). In a 2008 interview, Depp stated that he had "poisoned" himself with alcohol "for years". In 2013, Depp declared that he had stopped drinking alcohol, adding that he "pretty much got everything [he] could get out of it"; Depp also said, "I investigated wine and spirits thoroughly, and they certainly investigated me as well, and we found out that we got along beautifully, but maybe too well." Regarding his breakup with longtime partner Vanessa Paradis, Depp said that he "definitely wasn't going to rely on the drink to ease things or cushion the blow or cushion the situation ...[because] that could have been fatal". In a 2018 Rolling Stone profile of Depp, reporter Stephen Rodrick wrote that he had used hashish in his presence and described him as "alternately hilarious, sly and incoherent"; Depp also said that the allegation made by his former business managers that he had spent US$30,000 per month on wine was "insulting" because he had spent "far more" than that amount. During his 2020 libel trial, Depp admitted to having been addicted to Roxicodone and to having misused alcohol. He also admitted to using other substances such as marijuana, MDMA and cocaine but denied ever having been addicted to any of them.
| Parents | |
| Husband | Lori Allison (m. 1983-1985) Amber Heard (m. 2015-2017) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Johnny Depp's net worth in 2025 is estimated at $150 million. This figure is significantly lower than his peak earnings, largely due to his expensive lifestyle and legal battles. At one point, Depp had earned over $650 million in salaries and backend profits between 2003 and 2016. His monthly expenses were reportedly over $2 million, including $30,000 on wine alone.
Depp's annual income has topped $100 million in some years, making him one of the highest-paid actors. He commands a salary of $20 million per film, plus a backend percentage.
By 2012, Depp was one of the world's biggest film stars, and was listed by the Guinness World Records as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million. That year, he and his 21 Jump Street co-stars Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' feature film adaptation. Depp also starred in and co-produced his eighth film with Tim Burton, Dark Shadows (2012), alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eva Green. The film was based on a 1960s Gothic television soap opera of the same name, which had been one of his favorites as a child. The film's poor reception in the United States brought Depp's star appeal into question.
After a decade of appearing mainly in independent films with varying commercial success, Depp became one of the biggest box-office draws in the 2000s with his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Walt Disney Studios' Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The five films in the series have earned US$4.5 billion as of 2021. In addition to the Pirates franchise, Depp also made four further films with Tim Burton that were major successes, with one, Alice in Wonderland (2010), becoming the biggest commercial hit of Depp's career and one of the highest-grossing films in history (as of 2021). In 2012, Depp was one of the world's biggest film stars, and was listed by the Guinness World Records as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million in a year.
Career, Business, and Investments
Depp's acting career is marked by iconic roles in films like "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." His work in "Pirates of the Caribbean" alone earned him over $300 million. He also generated significant backend earnings from films like "Alice in Wonderland," which added $55 million to his income.
In addition to acting, Depp has ventured into producing and has been involved in various business ventures, including a production company and investments in real estate. His financial challenges have been well-documented, with significant expenses on luxury items and legal fees.
Depp began his career as a musician performing in several amateur rock bands before transitioning into film. He made his feature film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and appeared in Platoon (1986), before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). In the 1990s, Depp portrayed lead roles in Arizona Dream (1993), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995) and title characters Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995) and Donnie Brasco (1997). He also portrayed Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Dean Corso in Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate (1999). In 1999, Depp received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry. In the early 2000s, he appeared in the romance Chocolat (2000), crime film Blow (2001), action film Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), drama Finding Neverland (2004), and horror films From Hell (2001) and Secret Window (2004).
Depp's claims came under scrutiny when Indian Country Today wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. This led to criticism of Depp, from the Native American community, as Depp has no documented Native ancestry, and Native community leaders consider him "a non-Indian" and a pretendian. Depp's choice to portray Tonto, a Native American character, in The Lone Ranger was criticized, along with his choice to name his rock band "Tonto's Giant Nuts". During the promotion for The Lone Ranger, Depp was formally adopted as an honorary son by LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation, making him an honorary member of her family but not a member of any tribe.
Although Depp said he "didn't have any desire to be an actor", he continued to be cast in films, making enough to cover some bills that his musical career left unpaid. After a starring role in the 1985 comedy Private Resort, Depp was cast in the lead role of the 1986 skating drama Thrashin' by the film's director, but its producer overrode the decision. Instead, Depp appeared in a minor supporting role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon. He became a teen idol during the late 1980s, when he starred as an undercover police officer in a high school operation in the Fox television series 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. He accepted this role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Despite his success, Depp felt that the series "forced [him] into the role of product".
Depp's first 2011 film release was the animated film Rango, in which he voiced the title character, a lizard. It was a major critical and commercial success. His second film of the year, the fourth installment in the Pirates series, On Stranger Tides, was again a box office hit, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2011. Later in 2011, Depp released the first two projects co-produced by his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was a film adaptation of the novel The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson and starred Depp. It failed to bring back its production costs and received mixed reviews. The company's second undertaking, Martin Scorsese's Hugo (2011), garnered major critical acclaim and several awards nominations, but similarly did not perform well in the box office. In 2011, Depp also made a brief cameo in the Adam Sandler film Jack and Jill.
In 2017, Depp appeared alongside other actors and filmmakers in The Black Ghiandola, a short film made by a terminally ill teenager through the non-profit Make a Film Foundation. He also reprised his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment of the Pirates series, Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). In the US, it did not perform as well as previous installments, and Depp was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards for worst actor and for worst screen combo with "his worn-out drunk routine". However, the film had a good box office return internationally, especially in China, Japan and Russia. Depp's last film release in 2017 was the Agatha Christie adaptation Murder on the Orient Express, in which he was part of an ensemble cast led by director-star Kenneth Branagh. In 2018, Depp voiced the title character Sherlock Gnomes in the animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes. Although moderately commercially successful, it was critically panned and earned Depp two Golden Raspberry nominations, one for his acting and another for his "fast-fading film career". Depp then starred in two independent films, both produced by him and his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was City of Lies, in which he starred as Russell Poole, an LAPD detective who attempts to solve the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. It was set for release in September 2018, but was pulled from the release schedule after a crew member sued Depp for assault. The second film was the comedy-drama Richard Says Goodbye, in which Depp played a professor with terminal cancer. It premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in October 2018. Depp's last film release of 2018 was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, in which he reprised his role as Grindelwald. Depp's casting received criticism from fans of the series due to the domestic violence allegations against him.
Depp also experienced other career setbacks around this time, as Disney confirmed that they would not be casting him in new Pirates installments and he was reported to no longer be attached to Universal's Dark Universe franchise. Depp's next films was the independent drama Waiting for the Barbarians (2019), which premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and is based on a novel by J. M. Coetzee.
In Minamata (2020), Depp portrayed photographer W. Eugene Smith. The film premiered at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. In November 2020, Depp resigned from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise at the request of its production company, Warner Bros., after he lost his UK libel case against The Sun, which had accused him of being a domestic abuser. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.
In March 2021, City of Lies, which was originally scheduled for 2018, was released in theaters and streaming services. The same month, an online petition to bring Depp back to the Pirates franchise, begun four months earlier, reached its goal of 500,000 signatures. His Pirates co-star Kevin McNally also expressed support for Depp returning to the role. In July 2021, Andrew Levitas, the director of Minamata (2020), accused MGM of trying to bury the film due to Depp's involvement, with Depp claiming he is being boycotted by the Hollywood industry and calling his changed reputation an "absurdity of media mathematics". Minamata was released in the UK and Ireland in August 2021, and in North America in December 2021. The film received positive reviews, with multiple publications praising Depp's performance as his best in years. Depp also continues as the face of Dior's men's fragrance, Sauvage.
In September 2021, Depp described himself as a victim of cancel culture. The same month, he launched IN.2, a London-based sister company to his production company, Infinitum Nihil, and announced that IN.2 and the Spanish production company A Contracorriente Films were starting a new development fund for TV and film projects. On February 15, 2022, Depp received the Serbian Gold Medal of Merit from President Aleksandar Vučić for "outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world". Minamata and animated series Puffins were shot in the country.
Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness (2024), was Depp's first directorial effort in over 25 years. The film is about 72 hours in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, and Depp co-produced it through his European company IN.2 Film, alongside Al Pacino. It stars Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, Al Pacino and Antonia Desplat, and it is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre. Principal photography commenced in September 2023 in Budapest, Hungary and was completed in Los Angeles and Turin in early 2024. The film premiered at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 24, 2024, where it was received warmly by the audience with a lengthy standing ovation.
In 2004, Depp founded film production company Infinitum Nihil to develop projects where he will serve as actor or producer. He serves as its CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president. The company's first two film releases were The Rum Diary (2011) and Hugo (2011). A European sister-company to Infinitum Nihil, entitled IN.2, was launched in September 2021. In a press release, Depp stated: "From the student to the maestro, from the aspiring artists to the yet-knowns, to the well-established great masters across all forms of modern media, IN.2 will build a space where artists can be artists, where they will be free to create those unexpected moments, those happy accidents that contain the propensity to constitute great art and so bring their unique vision to life."
Prior to his acting career, Depp was a guitarist, and has later featured on songs by Oasis, Shane MacGowan, Iggy Pop, Vanessa Paradis, Aerosmith, Marilyn Manson, and The New Basement Tapes, among others. He also performed with Manson at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2012. Depp played guitar on the soundtrack of his films Chocolat and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and has appeared in music videos for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Lemonheads, Avril Lavigne and Paul McCartney. In the 1990s, he was also a member of P, a musical group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.
According to film scholar Murray Pomerance, Depp's collaboration with Disney "can be seen to purport and herald a new era for Johnny Depp, one in which he is, finally, as though long-promised and long-expected, the proud proprietor of a much-accepted career; not only a star but a middle-class hero". In 2003, the same year as the first film in the Pirates series was released, Depp was named "World's Sexiest Man" by People; he would receive the title again in 2009. During the decade and into the 2010s, Depp was one of the biggest and most popular film stars in the world and was named by public vote as "Favorite Male Movie Star" at the People's Choice Awards every year for 2005 through 2012. In 2012, Depp became the highest-paid actor in the American film industry, earning as high as $75 million per film, and as of 2020, is the tenth highest-grossing actor worldwide, with his films having grossed over US$3.7 billion at the United States box office and over US$10 billion worldwide. Although a mainstream favorite with the audiences, critics' views on Depp changed in the 2000s, becoming more negative as he was seen to conform more to the Hollywood ideal. Regardless, Depp continued to eschew more traditional leading-man roles until towards the end of the 2000s, when he starred as John Dillinger in Public Enemies (2009).
Depp reacted to the result of the trial by declaring that the "jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled." Depp also stated that he was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world". He continued: "I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up." Depp also highlighted "the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point", and praised his "diligent and unwavering legal team" for "an extraordinary job".
In March 2016, Depp cut ties with his management company, The Management Group (TMG), and sued them in January 2017 for alleged embezzlement and for allegedly improperly managing his money and leaving him over $40 million in debt. TMG stated that Depp was responsible for his own fiscal mismanagement and countersued him for unpaid fees. In a related suit, Depp also sued his lawyers, Bloom Hergott, in January 2017. Both lawsuits were settled, the former in 2018 and the latter in 2019.
In 2018, two of Depp's former bodyguards sued him for unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions. Among other complaints, the two bodyguards claimed in their suit that they were required to perform tasks that were beyond the scope of their capacity as bodyguards, including being asked to repeatedly drive vehicles that "contained illegal substances, open containers and minors". Despite this and despite being exposed to other unsafe working conditions while putting in 12-hour work shifts on the job without rest or meal breaks, the bodyguards added, they were neither paid overtime nor otherwise fairly or lawfully compensated. The suit was settled in 2019.
Social Network
Johnny Depp is not particularly active on mainstream social media platforms. However, his career and personal life are extensively covered by media outlets and fan pages.
Disillusioned by his experiences as a teen idol in 21 Jump Street, Depp began taking roles he found more interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office. His first film release in 1990 was John Waters's Cry-Baby, a musical comedy set in the 1950s. Although not a box-office success upon its release, over the years it has gained cult classic status. Also in 1990, Depp played the title character in Tim Burton's romantic fantasy film Edward Scissorhands opposite Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder. The film was a commercial and critical success with a domestic gross of $53 million. In preparation for the role, Depp watched many Charlie Chaplin films to study how to create sympathy without dialogue. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised Depp's performance, writing that he "artfully expresses the fierce longing in gentle Edward; it's a terrific performance", while Rita Kempley of The Washington Post wrote that he "brings the eloquence of the silent era to this part of few words, saying it all through bright black eyes and the tremulous care with which he holds his horror-movie hands". Depp earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the film. Owing to this role, a species of extinct arthropod with prominent claws was named after Depp as Kootenichela deppi (chela is Latin for claws or scissors).
Depp had no film releases in the next two years, except a brief cameo in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), the sixth installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. He appeared in three films in 1993. In the romantic comedy Benny and Joon, he played an eccentric and illiterate silent film fan who befriends a mentally ill woman and her brother; it became a sleeper hit. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that Depp "may look nothing like Buster Keaton, but there are times when he genuinely seems to become the Great Stone Face, bringing Keaton's mannerisms sweetly and magically to life". Depp received a second Golden Globe nomination for the performance. His second film of 1993 was Lasse Hallström's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a drama about a dysfunctional family co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. It did not perform well commercially, but received positive notices from critics. Although most of the reviews focused on DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization". Depp's last 1993 release was Emir Kusturica's surrealist comedy-drama Arizona Dream, which opened to positive reviews and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Depp next starred as an author with writer's block in the thriller Secret Window (2004), based on a short story by Stephen King. It was a moderate commercial success but received mixed reviews. Released around the same time, the British-Australian independent film The Libertine (2004) saw Depp portray the seventeenth-century poet and rake, the Earl of Rochester. It had only limited release, and received mainly negative reviews. Depp's third film of 2004, Finding Neverland, was more positively received by the critics, and earned him his second Academy Award nomination as well as Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominations for his performance as Scottish author J. M. Barrie. Depp also made a brief cameo appearance in the French film Happily Ever After (2004), and founded his own film production company, Infinitum Nihil, under Warner Bros. Pictures.
In July 2022, artwork made by Depp sold out less than a day since it debuted in the art retailer Castle Fine Art in London's Covent Garden. The art house hosted his "Friends & Heroes" collection, which was described as paintings of people "who have inspired him as a person". Among the art pieces, the names include actors Al Pacino and Elizabeth Taylor and musicians Bob Dylan and Keith Richards. Depp made for nearly $4 million and sold 780 prints through the art house's 37 galleries. Ahead of the sale, Depp expressed his desire to display his art publicly and stated, "I've always used art to express my feelings and to reflect on those who matter most to me, like my family, friends and people I admire." He added, "My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves." All 780 pieces sold within hours, with framed individual images going for £3,950 and the complete portfolio of four images selling for £14,950. "This world-first release proved to be our fastest-selling collection to date, with all titles selling out in just hours", the gallery announced on Instagram. Speaking on behalf of fine art publishers, Washington Green Glyn Washington described Depp as a "true creative, with an extraordinary eye for detail and nuance".
In the 1990s, Depp was seen as a new type of male film star that rejected the norms of that role. After becoming a teen idol in 21 Jump Street, he publicly protested against the image, and with his subsequent film and public relations choices began to cultivate a new public persona. The Sydney Morning Herald characterized Depp in the 1990s as the "bad boy of Hollywood"; Depp's chain smoking, recreational drug use and drinking habits were generally documented during this time. According to The Guardian journalist Hadley Freeman in 2020: "Along with Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, he was part of a holy trinity of grunge heart-throbs. They were the opposite of the Beverly Hills, 90210 boys, or Brad Pitt and DiCaprio, because they seemed embarrassed by their looks, even resentful of them. ...This uninterest in their own prettiness made them seem edgy, even while their prettiness softened that edge. They signified not just a different kind of celebrity, but a different kind of masculinity: desirable but gentle, manly but girlish. Depp in particular was the cool pinup it was safe to like, and the safe pinup it was cool to like. We fans understood that there was more to Depp, Phoenix and Reeves than handsomeness. They were artistic—they had bands!—and they thought really big thoughts, which they would ramble on about confusingly in interviews. If we dated them, we understood that our role would be to understand their souls."
In February 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation over a December 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post. The lawsuit ultimately resulted in Depp alleging that the op-ed contained three defamatory statements: first, its headline, "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change"; second, Heard's writing: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out"; and third, Heard's writing: "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." Depp alleged that he had been the one who was abused by Heard, that her allegations constituted a hoax against him, and that as a consequence, Disney had declined to cast him in future projects.
Heard countersued Depp in August 2020, alleging that he had coordinated "a harassment campaign via Twitter and [by] orchestrating online petitions in an effort to get her fired from Aquaman and L'Oreal". Ultimately, Heard's counter-suit went to trial over three allegations that Depp had defamed her through statements made by his then-lawyer, Adam Waldman, published in the Daily Mail in April 2020: first, Waldman stated that "Heard and her friends in the media used fake sexual violence allegations as both sword and shield", publicizing a "sexual violence hoax" against Depp; second, Waldman stated that in one incident at a penthouse, "Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911" as a "hoax" against Depp; third, Waldman stated that there had been an "abuse hoax" by Heard against Depp.
"I hear the cue, and I go hahaha, I do a big laugh or whatever... Johnny Depp, when they say cut, walks over to me, comes up to me, sticks his finger in my face—and I'm in a bikini on the ground like this—and he comes over and he goes, 'Who the fuck do you think you are? Who the fuck do you think you are? Shut the fuck up. I'm out here, and I'm trying to fucking say my lines and you're fucking pulling focus. You fucking idiot. Who the fuck do you think... Oh, now, oh now it's not so funny? Now you can shut up? Now you can fucking shut the fuck up? Oh it's not funny now? The quiet that you are right now, that's how you fucking stay.'"
While noting that this was her first day of her first studio film ever and that she had been excited to work with Depp, whom she then idolized, Glaudini said that the incident left her almost in tears. She further added that Depp later offered her a "non-apology apology" by blaming the incident on the "Boston accent" that he was doing for the film. In response to Glaudini's accusation, Depp, through a representative, said that he values good relationships with his coworkers. In addition, Sam Sarkar—a sound technician on Blow who has worked on several of Depp's films including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Choclat, Mortdecai, and Minamata—said that, during the filming of Blow, he never heard anything like what Glaudini recounted.
At the Glastonbury Festival 2017, Depp, criticizing President Donald Trump, asked: "When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify: I'm not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it's been a while and maybe it's time. I'm not insinuating anything." The comment was interpreted as a reference to John Wilkes Booth, the actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Shawn Holtzclaw of the Secret Service told CNN they were aware of Depp's comment, but that "for security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities". Depp apologized shortly afterward, saying the remark "did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice".
Education
Depp attended Miramar High School but dropped out at the age of 16 to pursue a career in music. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
Throughout his career, Depp has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and evolve, maintaining a strong presence in the entertainment industry despite challenges. His net worth and career trajectory reflect both his success and the financial risks he has faced.
In 2012, UC Irvine medical professor Robin Eckert sued Depp and three security firms, Premier Group International, Damian Executive Production Inc. and Staff Pro Inc., claiming to have been roughed up by his bodyguards at a concert in Los Angeles in 2011. During the incident, she was allegedly hand-cuffed and dragged 40 feet across the floor, resulting in injuries including a dislocated elbow. Depp's attorneys contended that Eckert provoked the alleged assault and therefore "consented to any assault and battery". Eckert's court papers stated that Depp, despite being his security guards' direct manager, did nothing to stop the attack. Before the case went to trial, Depp settled with Eckert for an undisclosed sum, according to TMZ.
