Johnny Depp

John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, musician, and filmmaker. Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, to waitress Betty Sue Depp and civil engineer John Christopher Depp, he was the youngest of four children. His family relocated frequently during his childhood before settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. His parents divorced in 1978, and his mother later married Robert Palmer. Depp received his first guitar at age 12 and dropped out of Miramar High School at age 16 in 1979 to pursue a career as a rock musician. He played in various local bands, including The Kids, which relocated to Los Angeles before splitting up in 1984.

After moving to Los Angeles, Depp was introduced by his then-wife Lori Anne Allison to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to pursue acting. Depp made his feature film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), followed by a minor supporting role in Oliver Stone's Vietnam War drama Platoon (1986). He rose to prominence as a teen idol starring in the television series 21 Jump Street from 1987 to 1990. Seeking more varied roles, Depp starred in John Waters's musical comedy Cry-Baby (1990) and began a long-standing creative collaboration with director Tim Burton by playing the title role in Edward Scissorhands (1990), earning his first Golden Globe nomination.

Throughout the 1990s, Depp took on a wide range of roles in independent and studio films. He starred in Benny & Joon (1993), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Arizona Dream (1993). In 1994, he reunited with Burton to portray the title character in the biographical film Ed Wood, earning another Golden Globe nomination. He subsequently appeared in Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man (1995), Nick of Time (1995), and the crime drama Donnie Brasco (1997). In 1997, Depp also made his directorial and screenwriting debut with The Brave. He later portrayed Raoul Duke in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and Ichabod Crane in Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999).

In 2000, Depp appeared in The Man Who Cried, Before Night Falls, and Chocolat, followed by Blow in 2001. He achieved worldwide stardom for his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, beginning in 2003. Depp earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). His continued collaborations with Burton included Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012).

Depp's subsequent film projects include Public Enemies (2009), Rango (2011), Into the Woods (2014), Black Mass (2015), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Minamata (2020), and portraying Gellert Grindelwald in two Fantastic Beasts films in 2016 and 2018. Beyond acting, Depp founded the production company Infinitum Nihil in 2004 and formed the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. Over his career, his films have grossed over $10.8 billion worldwide, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Honorary César, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Depp was married to makeup artist Lori Anne Allison from 1983 to 1985 and later married actress Amber Heard from 2015 to 2017. Following their divorce, Depp and Heard engaged in high-profile legal cases in the United Kingdom and the United States, including Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd in 2020 and Depp v. Heard in 2022.