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US Weekly March 04

How Love Changed Johnny Depp

He had a passion for partying and trouble - until he met French beauty Vanessa Paradis. Why the sexy Secret Window star settled down

By Mara Reinstein

When Best Actor nominee Johnny Depp walked the red carpet at the February 29 Academy Awards, clean shaven and dapper in an Armani tux, it was hard to believe this was the same actor who made a name for himself in the 1990s as an aloof bad boy. On his arms were his girlfriend of 6 years, actress-singer Vanessa Paradis, 31, and his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. His good luck charm? A Band-Aid on his pinkie, given to him by daughter Lily-Rose, 4. When asked about his post-show plans, Depp, 40, told Us, "I'll have a drink with my mom and my girl, and then go home, see the kids and go to sleep. There is nothing exciting about that."
Surprising is more like it. After all, this former paparazzi-bashing co-owner of the infamous Viper Room nightclub (a hangout for hard-partying celebs in the '90s, and the site of River Phoenix's fatal 1993 drug overdose), who was arrested in 1994 for trashing a New York City Hotel room (allegedly after a heated argument with his then-girlfriend, model Kate Moss). But since he began dating the France-born Paradis in 1998, Depp has traded in rebellion for serene domestic bliss. Even with his resurgent popularity as an actor (Pirates of the Caribbean, for which he received his first Oscar nod, was one of the biggest hits of 2003, and his new thriller, Secret Window, opens March 12th), Depp isn't likely to go back to the party circuit. "I've seen both sides of Johnny, and I have to tell you, there's no more darkness there," a long-time friend tells Us. "His family is his main priority."

Vive la France

Maybe it's the change of scenery. Shortly after he started dating Paradis, Depp bought a second home in the south of France, where he now splits his time in a $2 million villa in the sleepy town of Plan de la Tour (population 2,410) with Paradis and their two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, nearly 2. Locals often spot him picnicking with his family on the public beach, shopping for vegetables at the market and riding around the countryside on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "He's someone who will join us old men for a friendly game of Boules [a cross between bowling and horse-shoes] on a Sunday afternoon then have a drink at the bar," a neighbor tells Us. Adds a waiter at a French restaurant where Depp and Paradis often dine: "They will share a bottle of wine. Johnny always has a little chat with us in French. He's good, but not fluent yet."
So is Depp's French relocation permanent? "An actor can never live anywhere full-time," he tells Us. "It's such a nomadic existence, so we spend a few months at different places." Now in England filming the drama The Libertine (in June he'll play Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Depp often takes Paradis and the kids with him on location, and they have a medieval-style Los Angeles home. (The family uses mostly English, but Paradis speaks to the children in French when Depp isn't around.) "He's a beautiful person, Paradis tells Us, "so obviously, he's a beautiful Dad."
But not necessarily one who's eager to be a husband. "He went off the idea of marriage because of his relationship history," a friend says of Depp, who was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Winona Ryder and briefly married in the mid '80s to musician Lori Anne Allison. "But he'd do it if Vanessa or his kids wanted him to." Adds another pal, "Johnny and Vanessa are deeply connected. But the children have made them really close. They're happier and more in love than most married couples."

Who is Vanessa Paradis?

Call her the Jennifer Lopez of France. The five-foot-three ex-model started her career as a pop singer (her 1987 hit "Joe Le Taxi" was a smash in Europe) and has been linked to Lenny Kravitz. In the late 80s, she turned to acting, appearing in several French movies - including the 1999 art-house hit La Fille sur le Pont (Girl on the Bridge). She's now filming the French film Mon Ange.

And here's some other stuff:

Life in France

(Picture of Restaurant here)
The restaurant where Depp drinks with Locals.

(Picture of Market here)
The market where Depp shops. "It's great," Depp says of life in France.

Heeer's Johnny's Bad-Boy Past.

He got arrested!

(Picture of him getting arrested here)
Depp paid nearly $10,000 after trashing a hotel room in 1994.

He loved the nightlife!

(Picture here) Depp (right) par
tied hard with Mickey Rourke in 1994.

He co-owns the Viper Room!

(Picture of Viper Room here)
Courtney Love and Tommy Lee hung out at the notorious.

Other Random Quotes on the Page:

"He's totally approachable," Cheech Marin, Depp's costar in 2003's Once Upon A Time In Mexico Tells Us of the actor (shown with Paradis at the Oscars). "We'd all go out, and he always brought his family. He's just the coolest guy." Adds a source close to Depp, "Every decision Johnny makes is geared toward being with the kids and Vanessa. The come before everything."

"Johnny's got an awesome off-the-beaten-track personality. People totally connect with him. He's in the zone." - David Koepp