Biography

John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, producer, and musician. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards.

Depp made his debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street (1987–1990). In the 1990s, Depp acted mostly in independent films, often playing eccentric characters. These included What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny and Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). Depp also began collaborating with director Tim Burton, starring in Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999).

In the 2000s, Depp became one of the most commercially successful film stars by playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the swashbuckler film series Pirates of the Caribbean (2003–present). He received critical praise for Finding Neverland (2004), and continued his commercially successful collaboration with Tim Burton with the films Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and Alice in Wonderland (2010). In 2012, Depp was one of the world’s biggest film stars, and was listed by the Guinness World Records as the world’s highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million. During the 2010s, Depp began producing films through his company, Infinitum Nihil, and formed the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

Depp was married to actress Amber Heard from 2015 to 2017. Their divorce drew media attention as she alleged that he had been abusive throughout their relationship. Depp sued Heard for defamation in 2019 after she wrote an op-ed discussing being a public victim of domestic violence; the case will go to trial in 2022. He also sued the publishers of The Sun in a related libel suit in England. In 2020, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Depp had lost his libel case and that the majority of Heard’s allegations had been proven to a civil standard.

Early life and ancestry

John Christopher Depp II was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, the youngest of four children of waitress Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells) and civil engineer John Christopher Depp. Depp’s family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida in 1970. His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called “an inspiration”.

Depp was gifted a guitar by his mother when he was 12 years old, and began playing in various bands. He dropped out of Miramar High School aged 16 in 1979 to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. In 1980, Depp began playing guitar in a band called The Kids. After modest local success in Florida, the band moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method. In addition to the band, Depp worked a variety of odd jobs, such as in telemarketing. In December 1983, Depp married make-up artist Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band’s bassist and singer. The Kids split up before signing a record deal in 1984, and Depp subsequently began collaborating with the band Rock City Angels. He co-wrote their song “Mary”, which appeared on their debut Geffen Records album Young Man’s Blues. Depp and Allison divorced in 1985.

Depp is primarily of English descent, with some French, German, and Irish ancestry. His surname comes from a French Huguenot immigrant (Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700). He is also descended from colonial freedom fighter Elizabeth Key Grinstead (1630–1665), daughter of English planter and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses Thomas Key and an African woman that he enslaved. In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, stating, “I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek Indian.” Depp’s claims came under scrutiny when Indian Country Today stated that Depp had never inquired about his heritage nor was he recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. This led to criticism from the Native American community, as Depp has no documented Native ancestry, and Native community leaders refer to him as “a non-Indian”. Depp’s choice to portray Tonto, a Native American character, in The Lone Ranger was criticized, along with his choice to name his rock band “Tonto’s Giant Nuts”. During the promotion for The Lone Ranger, Depp was adopted as an honorary son by LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation, making him an honorary member of her family but not a member of any tribe. Critical response to his claims from the Native community increased after this, including satirical portrayals of Depp by Native comedians. An ad featuring Depp and Native American imagery, by Dior for the fragrance “Sauvage”, was pulled in 2019 after being accused of cultural appropriation and racism.

Relationships

Depp and makeup artist Lori Anne Allison were married from 1983 until 1985. In the late 1980s, he was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn before proposing in 1990 to his Edward Scissorhands co-star Winona Ryder, for whom he tattooed “WINONA FOREVER” on his right arm. Between 1994 and 1997, he was in a relationship with English model Kate Moss.

Following his breakup from Moss, Depp began a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis, whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate in France in 1998. They have two children, daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999) and son John Christopher “Jack” Depp III (born 2002). Depp stated that having children has given him a “real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything. …You cannot plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny. All the math finally worked.” Depp and Paradis announced that they had separated in June 2012.

‘Justice For Johnny Depp’ Movement

Following the end of his relationship with Vanessa Paradis, Depp began dating actress Amber Heard, with whom he had co-starred in The Rum Diary. Two years after being married, Heard filed for divorce alleging that «Johnny had phisically and verbally abused her».

Before you form your opinion about this controversy, we encourage you to visit our section Justice For Johnny Depp to know all the official information that is available.