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The Magazine, April 2007

Transcribed by Deppraved

Finding Johnny Depp
by Kathy Murray

Chances are you've seen at least one of Johnny Depp's movies over the years. If not, have you been living on Mars for the past 20-plus years? Johnny Depp has been in over 45 movies and starred in the young undercover officers series 21 Jump Street for 3 years. But how did one of the most versatile actors of our generation get to where he is today?

The Beginning

Born June 9, 1963 to John Christopher II and Betty Sue Palmer {first inaccuracy! their last name was Depp, not Palmer. Betty Sue became Palmer later in life.}, John Christopher Depp III made his debut in Owensboro, Kentucky. It wasn't long though before the family packed their bags and moved to Florida. Soon after, his parents divorced and Johnny spiraled into the world of drugs. He dropped out of high school at 15, hoping to make it as a musician. His band, The Kids (formerly called The Flame), jumped ship and moved to Los Angeles, California, having already opened a show for legend Iggy Pop. The band soon broke up though and Johnny was left in Los Angeles alone and practically penniless.

From Pens to Movies

Johnny took to selling pens over the phone and eventually settled down with makeup artist Lori Allison. {Second inaccuracy! He married Lori Anne Allison while still living in Florida where they met.} The marriage lasted from 1983 - 1986 {these dates seem wrong - they were married for 2 years} and although it failed, meeting Lori was one of the best things that could have happened to him - she introduced him to actor Nicholas Cage. Cage suggested that Depp pursue an acting career and with that encouragement, Johnny tried out for and was cast as Glen in Wes Craven's slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street. The movie premiered in 1984 and a horror series was born. Johnny would later have a cameo in the 6th installment, 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. He also went on to appear in TV shows and films like Platoon. Then prime time came calling.

Jump to Fame

1987 was quite a year for the young Mr. Depp. He was cast in the Fox series 21 Jump Street, a show about police officers posing as high school and college students to nab young criminals. But after a while, Johnny became bored with the show and wanted to be able to accept more movie roles. However, he still had a 6-year contract with the studio so he began to change his lines during tapings and gave uninspired performances. He lasted four seasons on the show before he was able to terminate his contract. He was now available to star in movies and his first one happened to be quite a memorable turn as a lonely man with cutting shears for hands.

The Dynamic Duo

Edward Scissorhands would be the first of many creative collaborations with director Tim Burton, whose previous works included the horror comedy Beetlejuice. Made on an estimated 20 million dollar budget, Edward Scissorhands grossed almost three times that in the United States alone. Cry-Baby, another Depp project, came out the same year. But when it came to Edward Scissorhands, Johnny took away more than memories from the set: he had the love of co-star Winona Ryder. The two were engaged to be married for 3 years and eventually decided to call it quits. Over the years, he would have many more fiancees, but would never actually settle down and marry them. {The article makes it sound as if Johnny and Winona met on the set of Edward Scissorhands which isn't true. They were already a couple before filming that movie.}

Man of Many Faces

The next few years of his career would have Johnny playing the role of Sam, a Buster Keaton wannabe in the film Benny & Joon, Gilbert, a confused man dealing with his mother's oddities and his brother's disabilities in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and of course, the bizarre movie director Ed Wood in Ed Wood.

The Dark Side

The late 90s would be darker and more serious movies like Donnie Brasco, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Ninth Gate. In 1999, Depp teamed up with Tim Burton for their third project together (the second having been Ed Wood). Sleepy Hollow, in which Depp played the legendary character Icabod Crane, opened to huge numbers at the box office. Other roles followed, but 2003 would be a banner year.

Year of the Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which also starred Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, started a new whole franchise. Thanks to Depp's commitment to the role, his character Jack Sparrow became a fan and critic favourite. Action figures, posters and other merchandise made Depp's face a regular sight in toy stores and adoring fans' bedrooms. He even received an Oscar nod for his portrayal of the wacky but lovable Sparrow. In 2006, the sequel, Dead Man's Chest, was released and was even more successful than the first film!

Fantasy on the Side

In between the two Pirates movies, Depp played Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie and teamed up with Tim Burton (again!) for two films. One of these was the quirky remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which Depp starred as candymaker Willy Wonka. The other was the stop motion feature Corpse Bride. For the movie, Johnny lent his voice to character Victor Van Dort, a timid young man who gets wrapped up in the world of the dead and is pursued by a lovely, yet quite deceased, young woman, the Corpse Bride.

The Family Man

With all the acting Johnny Depp does, it's hard to imagine how he found time to settle down and start a family, but he did. He splits his time between his homes in France and Los Angeles with singer/model/actress Vanessa Paradis and their children, Lily-Rose (born 1999) and Jack (born 2002). He wears a bracelet his daughter made him and has a tattoo of his son's name as a reminder of his love for them while he's off working on movie sets.

What's Next?

Up next for Johnny are three slightly more serious roles in the films Sweeney Todd, Shantaram and The Rum Diary. But fans are also eagerly anticipating the release of the third movie in the Pirates franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which will premiere on May 25th.

Johnny Depp stands out among his peers for many reasons, but the main one is clear: he devotes himself completely to his characters. It's hard to watch one of his movies and not believe he is Ed Wood or Willy Wonka. He also isn't afraid to take risks. While other actors may go for what they think will be Oscar nominated roles, Depp takes the ones that he thinks will be most interesting to the audience. And even though he doesn't act like a Hollywood hotshot, he should be very proud of himself that he went from being a confused teenager to a respectable father and actor adored by fans.