Johnny Depp facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Johnny Depp
Depp at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival
Born	John Christopher Depp II (1963-06-09) June 9, 1963 (age 62) Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation	Actor musician film producer
Years active	1984–present
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Lori Allison (married 1983; divorced 1985) Amber Heard (married 2015; divorced 2017)
Partner(s)	Winona Ryder (1989–1993) Vanessa Paradis (1998–2012)
Children	2, including Lily-Rose
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock hard rock
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Labels	Republic Capitol

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John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is a well-known American actor and musician. He has received many awards for his acting, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also been nominated for three Academy Awards. His movies, where he often plays unique characters, have earned over $10.8 billion worldwide.

Depp started his career as a musician. He played in several rock bands before acting in his first movie, the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He became very popular as a young actor on the TV show 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). He is famous for working with director Tim Burton on many films, like Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

He gained worldwide fame for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (2003–2017). He has also starred in other popular films such as Rango (2011) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). Outside of acting, Depp produces films and is part of the rock band Hollywood Vampires.

About Johnny Depp
Beyond Acting
Personal Details
Film and Award Highlights
Images for kids
See also

About Johnny Depp

Early Life and Music

Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was the youngest of four children. His family moved often when he was a child, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida. His parents divorced when he was 15.

When he was 12, Depp's mother gave him a guitar. He started playing in different bands. He left Miramar High School at 16 to become a rock musician. In 1980, he joined a band called The Kids. The band later moved to Los Angeles to try and get a record deal. Depp also worked various jobs, like telemarketing, to support himself. In 1983, he married makeup artist Lori Anne Allison. They divorced in 1985. Depp has mentioned having some Native American ancestry, and he was later adopted as an honorary son by LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation.

Becoming an Actor

When Johnny Depp moved to Los Angeles, his wife Lori Ann Allison introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. Cage encouraged Depp to try acting. Depp had always been interested in acting after reading about James Dean. Cage helped Depp get an audition for the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street. Even though he had no acting experience, Depp got the role. He played the main character's boyfriend.

Depp continued to act in films, which helped him pay his bills. He had a small role in Oliver Stone's 1986 film Platoon. In the late 1980s, he became a very popular young actor. He starred as an undercover police officer in the TV series 21 Jump Street, which started in 1987.

Famous Roles and Collaborations

After his time on 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp started choosing roles he found more interesting. In 1990, he starred in John Waters's musical comedy Cry-Baby. That same year, he played the main character in Tim Burton's fantasy film Edward Scissorhands. This film was a big success and earned Depp his first Golden Globe nomination. He studied silent films to prepare for the role, learning to show emotion without words.

Depp continued to take on diverse roles. In 1993, he appeared in Benny & Joon and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He reunited with Tim Burton in 1994 for Ed Wood, playing a film director. This role helped him rediscover his love for acting. In 1997, he starred with Al Pacino in the crime drama Donnie Brasco, which is considered one of his best performances.

Captain Jack Sparrow

In 2003, Johnny Depp starred in the Walt Disney Pictures adventure film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He played the funny pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. This role was a huge success and made him famous worldwide. He earned nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for his performance. Depp said he based Captain Jack Sparrow on The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. He reprised the role in several sequels, including Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007). He also played Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

Working with Tim Burton

Johnny Depp has a long history of working with director Tim Burton. After Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, they collaborated on many other films. These include Sleepy Hollow (1999), where Depp played Ichabod Crane. He also starred as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Another collaboration was the animated film Corpse Bride (2005), where he voiced the main character.

In 2007, Depp played the musical role of Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This was his first time singing in a film. He won a Golden Globe for this role and received another Academy Award nomination. Their other films together include Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012).

Recent Films and Recognition

In 2009, Johnny Depp played real-life gangster John Dillinger in the film Public Enemies. He also voiced the main character in the animated film Rango, which was very successful. In 2011, he co-produced and starred in The Rum Diary. He also co-produced the critically acclaimed film Hugo.

Depp continued to take on diverse roles in the 2010s. He played Tonto in The Lone Ranger (2013). He also appeared as The Wolf in the musical film Into the Woods (2014). In 2015, he played Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger in Black Mass. This role earned him another nomination for the Best Actor SAG award. He also became the face of Dior's men's fragrance, Sauvage, and was inducted as a Disney Legend.

In 2016, Depp reprised his role as the Mad Hatter in Alice Through the Looking Glass. He also appeared as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series. In 2020, he starred as photographer W. Eugene Smith in the film Minamata. Depp left his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series in November 2020.

In 2021, City of Lies, a film he starred in, was released. He also received several honorary awards at European film festivals, including the Donostia Award in Spain. In February 2022, he received the Serbian Gold Medal of Merit for his contributions to film. In May 2022, Depp joined musician Jeff Beck on stage for concerts. They later released a joint album called 18 in July 2022.

In 2023, Depp starred as King Louis XV in the French film Jeanne Du Barry. This film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. In 2024, Depp directed his first film in over 25 years, Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness. He also co-produced it with Al Pacino. The film premiered at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2024.

Beyond Acting

Music Career

Before becoming an actor, Johnny Depp was a guitarist. He has played on songs for many artists, including Oasis, Iggy Pop, and Vanessa Paradis. He also played guitar on the soundtracks for his films Chocolat and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. In the 1990s, he was a member of the band P.

In 2015, Depp formed the supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The band released their first album in 2015 and has toured worldwide. Their second album, Rise, came out in 2019. In 2020, Depp released a song called "Isolation" with guitarist Jeff Beck. They later recorded an album together, 18, which was released in 2022. Depp performed at Jeff Beck tribute concerts in 2023. In July 2024, he was a special guest at Andrea Bocelli's 30th-anniversary concert, playing guitar alongside Bocelli.

Art and Creativity

In 2004, Johnny Depp started his own film production company called Infinitum Nihil. He is the CEO, and his sister, Christi Dembrowski, is the president. The company has produced films like The Rum Diary and Hugo. In 2021, he launched a sister company, IN.2, in London.

Depp also co-owned a nightclub in Los Angeles and a restaurant-bar in Paris. In 2013, he helped edit folk singer Woody Guthrie's novel House of Earth.

In July 2022, Depp's artwork, called "Friends & Heroes," was displayed and sold in London. The collection featured paintings of people who inspired him, like Al Pacino and Elizabeth Taylor. All 780 prints sold out quickly. A second collection, "Friends & Heroes II," was released in March 2023, featuring Heath Ledger and Bob Marley. In July 2023, Depp unveiled a self-portrait called "Five." He opened his first art exhibition, A Bunch of Stuff, in New York City in October 2024.

Helping Others

Johnny Depp is known for supporting many charities. In 2006, he received the "Courage to Care" award from Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2016, he received the "Rhonda's Kiss Healing and Hope Award" for his work with cancer patients.

Depp has donated money to several children's hospitals and other organizations through the sale of his artwork. He also donated funds to charities like Make-A-Film Foundation and The Painted Turtle. He and Rod Stewart held a concert to raise money for Celia Hammond's Animal Trust, which helps cats and kittens. Depp also donated artwork and costumes to The Bright Foundation, a charity that helps children access arts education.

He has visited children's hospitals around the world dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. He has also recorded video messages for children, including a terminally ill boy and a girl in a coma, hoping to bring them comfort.

Personal Details

Johnny Depp owns property in West Hollywood and currently lives in London.

He was married to Lori Anne Allison from 1983 to 1985. He was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn in the late 1980s. In 1990, he was engaged to his Edward Scissorhands co-star Winona Ryder. Their relationship ended in 1993, and he later changed a tattoo he had for her. From 1994 to 1998, he was in a relationship with model Kate Moss.

After that, Depp began a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis in 1998. They have two children, a daughter named Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999) and a son named Jack (born 2002). Depp has said that having children gave him a strong foundation in life. They announced their separation in June 2012.

Following his relationship with Vanessa Paradis, Depp dated actress Amber Heard, with whom he had worked on the film The Rum Diary. They were married in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce in May 2016, and their divorce was finalized in January 2017.

Film and Award Highlights

Johnny Depp's most successful films include A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Donnie Brasco (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Chocolat (2000), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Public Enemies (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Black Mass (2015) and Minamata (2020). His films have earned $8 billion worldwide.

Depp has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with nominations for Best Actor for:

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2004)
Finding Neverland (2005)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2008)

He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In 1999, Depp received an Honorary César award.