Biography for
Johnny Depp

Birth name

John Christopher Depp II

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Nickname

"Mr. Stench" (self-chosen)

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Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

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Mini biography

Born John Christopher Depp in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963. Raised in Florida, he dropped out of school at age 17 in hopes of becoming a rock musician. He fronted a series of garage bands, including The Kids, which once opened for Iggy Pop. Depp got into acting after a visit to LA with his former wife, who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. He made his film debut in 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street. In 1987, he shot to fame when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series 21 Jump Street. In 1990, after numerous roles in teen films, his first of a few great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when he portrayed the title role in Edward Scissorhands. 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. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood. In 1997, he played the undercover FBI agent in the factually based film, Donnie Brasco, opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and then in 1999 he appeared in the Sci-fi horror, The Astronaut's Wife. The same year, he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow, brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane. Depp has played many characters in his career including another factually based character, Inspector Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001). He stole the show from screen greats such as Antonio Banderas in the finale to Robert Rodriguez's Mariachi trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) the same year as the marvelous family blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off... Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp has been announced as joining up again with Tim Burton in the screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Apart from his on-screen life Depp has dated several female celebrities off-screen, including failed engagements to Jennifer Gray, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anderson in 1983 but then divorced in 1985. Currently Depp is living with French singer/actress Vanessa Paradis with whom he has two children; Lily-Rose Melody born in 1999 and Jack born in 2002.

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IMDb mini-biography by

mikedavies86

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Spouse

Lori Anne Allison

(1983 - 1985) (divorced)

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Trivia

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#1). [1995]

Daughter, with Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, born. [27 May 1999]

Arrested for being in a fight with paparazzis in front of a restaurant in London. [January 1999]

Ranked #67 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]

Voted EMPIRE's (UK) "sexiest male movie star of all time" [1995]

River Phoenix died outside his L.A. club The Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Boulevard.

Featured on a rock album from British band, 'Oasis'. Depp plays lead slide guitar on the track, "Fade In-Out". Oasis's own lead guitarist was too drunk to perform it himself, so celebrity pal Depp stepped in and nailed the lead on one take.

Arrested for trashing a New York apartment [1994]

Ex-fiancees: Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder.

When engaged to Winona Ryder, he had 'Winona forever' tattooed on his arm. After the broke up he had the n and a surgically removed to simply say 'Wino forever'!.

Played as guitarist in a band called "The Kids"

Currently plays in a band called "P"

Grew up in Florida.

Brother of D.P. Depp

Adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's steed, thereby saving him from the glue factory. (2000)

Got his "Betty Sue" tattoo May 31, 1988

Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001".

Son Jack, born to him and Vanessa on April 10, 2002 in Neuilly, France, weighs in at just over 7 lbs.

Chosen #2 on E!'s 25 sexiest entertainers list

With Chuck E. Weiss, Depp paid a reported $350,000 for Central nightclub and turned it into the Viper Room. Other stars in contention to buy the club in 1993 included Arnold Schwarzenegger and (separately) Frank Stallone.

Lists British comedy 'The Fast Show' (renamed 'Brilliant' for US TV) as his favourite TV programme of all time. He used to take tapes of the series on tour with him to keep him amused. Made a guest appearance in the last ever sketch in its last ever episode.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2001.

Wrote the foreword to Mark Salisbury's biography of Tim Burton, 'Burton on Burton'. He credits Burton's belief in him for rescuing him from being "a loser, an outcast, just another piece of expendable Hollywood meat".

Appears in Tom Petty's 1991 music video, "Into The Great Wide Open".

Johnny's two children with Paradis, have the same names of the 2 main characters in "Legend" (1985) - Lily (b. 1999) and Jack (b.2002).

His long-time girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, is a popular singer/ songwriter in her native country, France; as well as an aspiring actress.

Gave Noel Gallagher a white guitar with the letter "P" on it, which Noel reguarly plays during Oasis' gigs. "P" is the name of a band that Depp was in.

Has a song about him by famed Chicago street artist, Wesley Willis

Parents: John Christopher and Betty Sue Palmer

He wanted some of his teeth to be goldcapped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), but knew that the directors would never agree, so he went out and got lots more than he wanted capped. He then showed the directors, and they decided to make him give up a few, so he got some taken off. He had only gotten the extras so he could negotiate with the directors, while pretending that he wanted all his teeth capped.

Resides in France and Los Angeles.

Siblings: Danny, Christy, Debbie

People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2003.

Before Depp turned it into The Viper Room, the building was owned by famous gangster, Bugsy Segal.

Chosen as E!'s Entertainer of the year (2003).

According to the liner notes in the _Once Upon A Time in Mexico (2003)_ soundtrack CD, he wrote his own theme music, the music for Sands (Track 9 on the CD).

Shot all of his scenes in 9 days for _Once Upon A Time in Mexico (2003)_ , but after his filming was done he didn't want to leave. So he suggested to 'Robert Rodriguez' that he play a small part, the priest that Antonio Banderas talks to in the church, and use his Marlon Brando impression.

Reportedly based his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in _Sleepy Hollow (1999)_ on Withnail, from Withnail and I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.

Has been in 7 films where the title contains the name of the character he plays: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Donnie Brasco (1997), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Ed Wood (1994), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Cry-Baby (1990) and J.M. Barrie's Neverland (2004).

Persuaded actor Rey-Phillip Santos to give acting a try.

His son is named after him (John Christopher Depp) but is called Jack for short.

Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 19 November 1999. Tim Burton and Martin Landau were guest speakers.

His niece Megan works for popular online entertainment magazine TYCP.

Personal quotes

Anything I've done up till 27 May 1999 was kind of an illusion, existing without living. My daughter, the birth of my daughter, gave me life.

"You use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren't allowed to be normal." - on the money he makes.

"I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do."

"One of the most incredible moments I've ever had was sitting in Vincent [Price]'s trailer...I was showing him this first-edition book I have of the complete works of Poe--with really amazing illustrations. Vincent was going nuts over the drawings, and he started talking about The Tomb of Ligeia. Then he closed the book and began to recite it to me in this beautiful voice, filling the room with huge sounds. Such passion! I looked in the book later, and it was verbatim. Word perfect. It was a great moment. I'll never forget that."

"The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants."

I was ecstatic they re-named 'French Fries' as 'Freedom Fries'. Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots.

"America is dumb, it's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive. My daughter is four, my boy is one. I'd like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out."

"Taken in context, what I was saying was that, compared to Europe, America is a very young country and we are still growing as a nation. It is a shame that the metaphor I used was taken so radically out of context and slung about irresponsibly by the news media. There was no anti-American sentiment. In fact, it was just the opposite. I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it. It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and for this I am eternally grateful."

"France, and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster."

(On his character in the film Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)): Captain Jack Sparrow is like a cross between Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew.

"I can remember when I finished Edward Scissorhands, looking in the mirror as the girl was doing my make-up for the last time and thinking, it was like the 90th or 89th day of shooting and I remember looking and going 'Wow, this is it. I'm saying goodbye to this guy, I'm saying goodbye to Edward Scissorhands.' You know, it was kind of sad. But in fact, I think they're all still somehow in there."

"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying."

The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured'. That kind of thing.

I'm an old-fashioned guy...I want to be an old man with a beer belly sitting on a porch, looking at a lake or something.

[When asked by James Lipton on "Inside The Actor's Studio" what attracts him to funny hats] "I don't know, maybe I just read too much Dr. Suess as a kid."

[After being asked if he is a romantic] "Am I a romantic? I've seen Wuthering Heights ten times. I'm a romantic."

Talking on the Sleepy Hollow set about what it was like being dragged behind a carriage in the woods: "I wasn't afraid of getting hurt, I was just afraid that the horses may relieve themselves on the journey."

I'm shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I've done everything I can to avoid it.

When kids hit 1 year old, it's like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit.

This is a rumor-filled society and if people want to sit around and talk about whom I've dated, then I'd say they have a lot of spare time and should consider other topics... or masturbation.

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Salary

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	$10,000,000
"21 Jump Street" (1987)