Johnny Depp

John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II was born on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. He was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one named 'The Kids'. When he marriedLori A. Depp,he took a job as a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actorNicolas Cage,who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror film,A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984),where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger.

In 1987 he shot to stardom when he replacedJeff Yagherin the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series21 Jump Street (1987).In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with directorTim Burtoncame about when Depp played the title role inEdward Scissorhands (1990).Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role ofEd Wood (1994).In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based filmDonnie Brasco (1997),oppositeAl Pacino;in 1998 he appeared inFear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998),directed byTerry Gilliam;and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror filmThe Astronaut's Wife (1999).The same year he teamed up again with Burton inSleepy Hollow (1999),brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.

Depp has played many characters in his career, including another fact-based one, Insp. Fred Abberline inFrom Hell (2001).He stole the show from screen greats such asAntonio Banderasin the finale toRobert Rodriguez's "mariachi" trilogy,Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003).In that same year he starred in the marvelous family blockbusterPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003),playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off: the charming, conniving and roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow. The film's enormous success has opened several doors for his career and included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in theStephen King-based movie,Secret Window (2004);as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-basedFinding Neverland (2004),where he co-starred withKate Winslet;and Rochester in the British film,The Libertine (2004).Depp collaborated again with Burton in a screen adaptation ofRoald Dahl's novel,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005),and later inAlice in Wonderland (2010)andDark Shadows (2012).

Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged toSherilyn Fenn,Jennifer Grey,Winona RyderandKate Moss.He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983, but divorced her in 1985. Depp has two children with his former long-time partner, French singer/actressVanessa Paradis:Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and John Christopher "Jack" III, born in 2002. He married actress/producerAmber Heardin 2015, divorcing a few years later.