JOHNNY DEPP'S BIOGRAPHY
by Jack-Julian Brighenti and Brittany Lauren Lee
Johnny
Depp, born in Kentucky on June 9th 1963 has followed a bizarre road,
consequently landing him as one of today's top Hollywood actors. Born
John Christopher Depp II, young Depp was originally interested in
pursuing a music career. Following a move to Florida, and his parents
divorce by age 16, Depp strayed from his peers and siblings and reclused
within a life of drugs and alcohol. Teenage Depp dropped out of school
to pursue a career in rock and roll music. Over the next few years,
Depp fronted numerous garage bands - the most famous entitled The Kids,
opened for Iggy Pop. Perhaps more importantly, the success of The Kids
furnished Depp with a rising sense of popularity and accomplishment -
ironically shot down by Iggy Pop himself during a back-stage
confrontation.
Determination
and hope for stardom inspired the band to relocate to Los Angeles.
Depp married by age 20 to Lori Allison, the band's make-up artist. As
his band struggled among the competitive West-coast market, Depp (under
suggestion from his wife) decided to try acting. An introduction to
Nicolas Cage reluctantly persuaded Depp to audition. Depp's first film
debut was in Wes Craven's major motion picture A Nightmare On Elm Street
(1984). Unable to regain momentum, The Kids spilt-up soon after the
movie's release and Depp diverged from his first love, music, to follow a
life of acting. A small role in Platoon (1986) by Oliver Stone
followed. Unwilling at first, Fox pursued Depp to star in a new series
entitled 21, Jump Street. Although Depp felt this show "beneath him,"
it actually catapulted his success as an actor and turned him into a
teenybopper idol.
His
next unanimously appraised piece was Edward Scissorhands (1990) -
thought by Depp to downplay his unwanted pretty-boy reputation. The
success of this movie established his well known choice for odd and
unusual roles - essentially carving a niche for himself as a serious and
somewhat dark performer who always surprises audiences with his choice
of roles.
His
divorce from Lori Allison catalyzed engagements to multiple love
interests including Sherilyn Fenn and Jennifer Gray. His decision to
take the role in Edward Scissorhands led to the start of a relationship
with his then costar Winona Ryder. Depp described her as "the one,"
despite their break up three years later.
Next
came an extraordinary run of movie roles for Depp. Within five years,
starting in 1993, Depp starred in an array of movies including: What's
Eating Gilbert Grape, Benny and Joon, Arizona Dreaming, Nick of Time,
and Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man. It was during this time of stressful
success that Depp began to relapse. Again, an unhappy Depp began using
drugs and alcohol to escape from reality. Stuck in the depths of
disillusion, troubled Depp started an on-off relationship with
supermodel Kate Moss (1996); almost simultaneously being arrested twice
for both trashing his NY hotel room and fighting a member of the
paparazzi (1999). Although his life was in and out of shambles, on
screen Depp continued to establish himself as an incredible actor.
In
1998, Depp split with supermodel Kate Moss and started a relationship
with French singer Venessa Paradis, relocating to Paris with his two
children (Lily-Rose and Jack) in hope to pursue a more normal life.
Ironically, the next role he played was perhaps one of the farthest from
normal - He was cast as Hunter S. Thompson in Terry Gilliam's Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas. Work opportunities continued and Depp continued
acting, starring in such films as: The Source, The 9th Gate (shot in
Paris where he met Paradis), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, and the Oscar
nominated Chocolat; all the while, Depp managed to continue his musical
interests by appearing in an array of music videos (including Tom
Petty's "The Great Wide Open"), producing music with his band P, and
directing several videos for his wife (2001).
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