ECCENTRIC ACTOR / AGE: 42
Digital Journal — Johnny Depp said it best: “I don’t pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.” And that’s why the Kentucky-born actor still rules the big screen — he’s not afraid to tackle oddball roles or be an oddball himself.
Depp’s come a long way from his first major gig as Officer Tom Hanson on 21 Jump Street, an ’80s cop drama that shuttled Depp to teen idol fame. He made his cinematic debut in Nightmare on Elm Street and won over fans and critics with Edward Scissorhands. Here was a pretty boy relying on his acting chops instead of his looks.
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Part of Depp’s charm is his uncanny ability to choose bizarre roles many famous actors wouldn’t touch. From an infantile candy maker in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to his most recent film as the eccentric rogue swashbuckler in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Depp’s pretty much made a career out of being strange. You won’t find Depp taking a routine role just for the money. He’ll play a part that challenges his acting intellect, no matter if the film is indie or blockbuster.
Being odd and getting the right scripts doesn’t elevate you to stardom, though. What’s intriguing about Depp is that he’s always challenging his Hollywood image. He all but abandoned Los Angeles for France, where he lives with his wife, French model and actress Vanessa Paradis. In addition to criticizing the film industry for being corrupt, Depp is also one of many actors to express extreme displeasure with American foreign policy, telling Reuters, “America is dumb, it’s like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you.”
As brash as Depp may seem, he’s still a fan’s favourite actor for more than one reason. He was voted the top Hollywood actor to sign autographs, according to an annual survey published by Autograph Collector magazine. Depp has even scrawled his signature for crowds at the airport while carrying luggage.
His roles may be quirky and his views controversial, but Depp embodies all that Hollywood could be: bold, exciting and always thanking the little guys who truly sign his cheques.
JOHNNY B. STRANGE
- In Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Depp is credited as Oprah Noodlemantra
- Depp has broken off engagements to four different women: Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss
- Depp dropped out of school at 16 to be in a rock band
This article is part of Digital Journal’s national magazine edition. Pick up your copy of Digital Journal in bookstores across Canada and the United States! Or subscribe to Digital Journal now, and receive 8 issues for $29.95 GST ($48.95 USD)!
