Johnny Depp

John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. His films, in which he has often played eccentric characters, have grossed over $10.8 billion worldwide.

Depp began his career as a musician performing in several amateur rock bands before transitioning into film. He made his feature film debut in the horror film ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) and appeared in ''Platoon'' (1986), before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series ''21 Jump Street'' (1987–1990). In the 1990s, Depp portrayed lead roles in '' Arizona Dream'' (1993), ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' (1993), ''Benny & Joon'' (1993), ''Dead Man'' (1995) and title characters ''Ed Wood'' (1994), ''Don Juan DeMarco'' (1995) and '' Donnie Brasco'' (1997). He also portrayed Hunter S. Thompson in '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (1998) and Dean Corso in Roman Polanski's '' The Ninth Gate'' (1999). In 1999, Depp received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry. In the early 2000s, he appeared in the romance '' Chocolat'' (2000), crime film '' Blow'' (2001), action film '' Once Upon a Time in Mexico'' (2003), drama '' Finding Neverland'' (2004), and horror films '' From Hell'' (2001) and '' Secret Window'' (2004).

Depp became known for his collaborations with director Tim Burton, including in ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''Ed Wood'' (1994), '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), '' Corpse Bride'' (2005), '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, and ''Alice in Wonderland'' (2010). Depp gained worldwide stardom for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series, starting with '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), and reprised the role in four sequels (2006–2017). For each performance in ''The Curse of the Black Pearl'', ''Finding Neverland'', and ''Sweeney Todd'', Depp was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

His other well-received films include '' Public Enemies'' (2009), ''Into the Woods'' (2014), '' Black Mass'' (2015), and '' Minamata'' (2020), among others. He portrayed Gellert Grindelwald in the Wizarding World films '' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (2016) and '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' (2018). He has also lent his voice to numerous animated series in addition to the animated film '' Rango'' (2011). Outside acting, Depp has produced films through his company Infinitum Nihil, which he founded in 2004. He also formed the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. He was named ''People's'' Sexiest Man Alive twice, in 2003 and in 2009. In 2022, Depp won a defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, with the jury awarding him $15 million and Heard $2 million in her countersuit. The highly publicized case sparked widespread debate on defamation, domestic abuse, and male victims of domestic violence, leading to a settlement in December 2022.

Early life

Depp was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, the youngest of four children of waitress Betty Sue Depp (née Wells; later Palmer) and civil engineer John Christopher Depp. Depp's family moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970.Stated on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2002 His parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and his mother later married Robert Palmer, whom Depp has called "an inspiration".

Depp's mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands. He dropped out of Miramar High School at 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 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 its 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 makeup 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 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 of primarily English descent, with some French, German, Irish and African American ancestry. Elizabeth Key Grinstead, one of the first African Americans in the North American colonies to sue for her freedom and win, is an eighth great-grandmother. His surname comes from a French Huguenot immigrant, Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700. In interviews in 2002 and 2011, Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, "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'' wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. This led to criticism of Depp, from the Native American community, as Depp has no documented Native ancestry, and Native community leaders consider him "a non-Indian" and a pretendian.Jago, Robert (February 1, 2021)
"Robert Jago: Criminalizing 'Pretendians' Is Not the Answer; We Need to Give First Nations Control over Grants."
''National Post''. Retrieved June 19, 2023. 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 formally 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.

Career

1980s: Television and early film roles

Depp moved to Los Angeles with his band when he was 20. After the band split up, Depp's then-wife Lori Ann Allison introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. After they became drinking buddies, Cage advised him to pursue acting. Depp had been interested in acting since reading a biography of James Dean and watching '' Rebel Without a Cause''. Cage helped Depp get an audition with Wes Craven for ''A Nightmare on Elm Street''; Depp, who had no acting experience, said he "ended up acting by accident". Thanks in part to his catching the eye of Craven's daughter, Depp landed the role of the main character's boyfriend, one of Freddy Krueger's victims.

Although Depp said he "didn't have any desire to be an actor", he continued to be cast in films, making enough to cover some bills that his musical career left unpaid. After a starring role in the 1985 comedy '' Private Resort'', Depp was cast in the lead role of the 1986 skating drama '' Thrashin''' by the film's director, but its producer overrode the decision. Instead, Depp appeared in a minor supporting role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam War drama ''Platoon''. He became a teen idol during the late 1980s, when he starred as an undercover police officer in a high school operation in the Fox television series ''21 Jump Street'', which premiered in 1987. He accepted this role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Despite his success, Depp felt that the series "forced iminto the role of product".

1990s: Diversification

Disillusioned by his experiences as a teen idol in ''21 Jump Street'', Depp began taking roles he found more interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office. His first film release in 1990 was John Waters's '' Cry-Baby'', a musical comedy set in the 1950s. Although not a box-office success upon its release, over the years it has gained cult classic status. Also in 1990, Depp played the title character in Tim Burton's romantic fantasy film ''Edward Scissorhands'' opposite Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder. The film was a commercial and critical success with a domestic gross of $53 million. In preparation for the role, Depp watched many Charlie Chaplin films to study how to create sympathy without dialogue. Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' praised Depp's performance, writing that he "artfully expresses the fierce longing in gentle Edward; it's a terrific performance", while Rita Kempley of ''The Washington Post'' wrote that he "brings the eloquence of the silent era to this part of few words, saying it all through bright black eyes and the tremulous care with which he holds his horror-movie hands". Depp earned his first Golden Globe nomination for the film. Owing to this role, a species of extinct arthropod with prominent claws was named after Depp as '' Kootenichela deppi'' (''chela'' is Latin for claws or scissors).

Depp had no film releases in the next two years, except a brief cameo in '' Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare'' (1991), the sixth installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise. He appeared in three films in 1993. In the romantic comedy '' Benny and Joon'', he played an eccentric and illiterate silent film fan who befriends a mentally ill woman and her brother; it became a sleeper hit. Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Depp "may look nothing like Buster Keaton, but there are times when he genuinely seems to become the Great Stone Face, bringing Keaton's mannerisms sweetly and magically to life". Depp received a second Golden Globe nomination for the performance. His second film of 1993 was Lasse Hallström's ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'', a drama about a dysfunctional family co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. It did not perform well commercially, but received positive notices from critics. Although most of the reviews focused on DiCaprio, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, Todd McCarthy of '' Variety'' wrote that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization". Depp's last 1993 release was Emir Kusturica's surrealist comedy-drama '' Arizona Dream'', which opened to positive reviews and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

In 1994, Depp reunited with Burton, playing the title role in ''Ed Wood'', a biographical film about one of history's most inept film directors. Depp later said that he was depressed about films and filmmaking at the time, but that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed". He found that the role gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun" and that working with Martin Landau, who played Bela Lugosi, "rejuvenated my love for acting". Although it did not earn back its production costs, ''Ed Wood'' received a positive reception from critics, with Maslin writing that Depp had "proved himself as an established, certified great actor" and "captured all the can-do optimism that kept Ed Wood going, thanks to an extremely funny ability to look at the silver lining of any cloud". Depp was nominated for a third time for a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe for his performance.

The next year, Depp starred in three films. He played opposite Marlon Brando in the box-office hit ''Don Juan DeMarco'', as a man who believes he is Don Juan, the world's greatest lover. He starred in Jim Jarmusch's ''Dead Man'', a Western shot entirely in black-and-white; it was not a commercial success and had mixed critical reviews. And in the financial and critical failure '' Nick of Time'', Depp played an accountant who is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.

In 1997, Depp and Al Pacino starred in the crime drama '' Donnie Brasco'', directed by Mike Newell. Depp played Joseph D. Pistone, an undercover FBI agent who assumes the name Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the Mafia in New York City. To prepare, Depp spent time with Pistone, on whose memoirs the film was based. ''Donnie Brasco'' was a commercial and critical success, and is considered one of Depp's finest performances. Also in 1997, Depp debuted as a director and screenwriter with '' The Brave''. He starred in it as a poor Native American man who accepts a proposal from a wealthy man, played by Marlon Brando, to appear in a snuff film in exchange for money for his family. It premiered at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival to generally negative reviews. ''Variety'' called it "a turgid and unbelievable neo-western", and Time Out wrote that "besides the implausibilities, the direction has two fatal flaws: it's both tediously slow and hugely narcissistic as the camera focuses repeatedly on Depp's bandana'd head and rippling torso". Due to the reviews, Depp did not release ''The Brave'' in the U.S.

Depp was a fan and friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, and played his alter ego Raoul Duke in '' Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (1998), Terry Gilliam's film adaptation of Thompson's pseudo-biographical novel of the same name. It was a box-office failure and polarized critics. Later that year, Depp made a brief cameo in Mika Kaurismäki's '' L.A. Without a Map'' (1998).

Depp appeared in three films in 1999. The first was the sci-fi thriller '' The Astronaut's Wife'', co-starring Charlize Theron, which was not a commercial or critical success. The second, Roman Polanski's '' The Ninth Gate'', starred Depp as a seller of old books who becomes entangled in a mystery. It was moderately more successful with audiences but received mixed reviews. The third was Burton's adaptation of '' The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'', where Depp played Ichabod Crane opposite Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken. For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone, saying he "always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl". ''Sleepy Hollow'' was a commercial and critical success.

2000s: Worldwide recognition

Depp's first film release of the new millennium was British-French drama '' The Man Who Cried'' (2000), directed by Sally Potter and starring him as a Roma horseman opposite Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, and John Turturro. It was not a critical success. Depp also had a supporting role in Julian Schnabel's critically acclaimed '' Before Night Falls'' (2000). His final film of 2000 was Hallström's critically and commercially successful '' Chocolat,'' in which he played a Roma man and the love interest of the main character, Juliette Binoche. Depp's next roles were both based on historical persons. In '' Blow'' (2001), he starred as cocaine smuggler George Jung, who was part of the Medellín Cartel in the 1980s. The film underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews. In the comic book adaptation '' From Hell'' (2001), Depp portrayed inspector Frederick Abberline, who investigated the Jack the Ripper murders in the 1880s London. The film also received mixed reviews but was a moderate commercial success.

In 2003, Depp starred in the Walt Disney Pictures adventure film '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'', which was a major box office success. He earned widespread acclaim for his comic performance as pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, and received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and won a Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Actor as well as an MTV Movie Award. Depp has said that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me", and that he modeled the character after The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew. Studio executives had at first been ambivalent about Depp's portrayal, but the character became popular with audiences. In his other film release in 2003, Robert Rodriguez' action film '' Once Upon a Time in Mexico'', Depp played a corrupt CIA agent. A moderate box-office success, it received average to good reviews, with Depp's performance in particular receiving praise.

Depp next starred as an author with writer's block in the thriller '' Secret Window'' (2004), based on a short story by Stephen King. It was a moderate commercial success but received mixed reviews. Released around the same time, the British-Australian independent film '' The Libertine'' (2004) saw Depp portray the seventeenth-century poet and rake, the Earl of Rochester. It had only limited release, and received mainly negative reviews. Depp's third film of 2004, '' Finding Neverland'', was more positively received by the critics, and earned him his second Academy Award nomination as well as Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominations for his performance as Scottish author J. M. Barrie. Depp also made a brief cameo appearance in the French film '' Happily Ever After'' (2004), and founded his own film production company, Infinitum Nihil, under Warner Bros. Pictures.

Depp continued his box-office success with a starring role as Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's adaptation of '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005). It also had a positive critical reception, with Depp being nominated again for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. ''Chocolate Factory'' was followed by another Burton project, stop-motion animation '' Corpse Bride'' (2005), in which Depp voiced the main character, Victor Van Dort. Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the ''Pirates'' sequels '' Dead Man's Chest'' (2006) and '' At World's End'' (2007), both of which were major box office successes. He also voiced the character in the video game '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow''. According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp in the role of Jack Sparrow was the main reason for many cinema-goers to see a ''Pirates'' film.

In 2007, Depp collaborated with Burton for their sixth film together, this time playing murderous barber Sweeney Todd in the musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2007). Depp cited Peter Lorre's performance in '' Mad Love'' (1935), in which Lorre played a "creepy but sympathetic" surgeon, as his main influence for the role. ''Sweeney Todd'' was the first film in which Depp had been required to sing. Instead of hiring a qualified vocal coach, he prepared for the role by recording demos with his old bandmate Bruce Witkin. The film was a commercial and critical success. ''Entertainment Weekly'''s Chris Nashawaty stated that, "Depp's soaring voice makes you wonder what other tricks he's been hiding ... Watching Depp's barber wield his razors ... it's hard not to be reminded of ''Edward Scissorhands'' frantically shaping hedges into animal topiaries 18 years ago ... and all of the twisted beauty we would've missed out on had urton and Deppnever met." Depp won the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Actor for the role, and was nominated for the third time for an Academy Award.

In 2009, Depp portrayed real-life gangster John Dillinger in Michael Mann's 1930s crime film '' Public Enemies''. It was commercially successful and gained moderately positive reviews. Roger Ebert stated in his review that, "This Johnny Depp performance is something else. For once an actor playing a gangster does not seem to base his performance on movies he has seen. He starts cold. He plays Dillinger as a fact." Depp's second film of 2009, '' The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'', reunited him with director Terry Gilliam. Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell each played the character initially portrayed by their friend Heath Ledger, who had died before the film was completed. All three actors gave their salaries to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.

2010s: Career fluctuations

Depp began the 2010s with another collaboration with Tim Burton, ''Alice in Wonderland'' (2010), in which he played the Mad Hatter opposite Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman. Despite mixed reviews, it earned US$1.025 billion in the box office, thus becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2010 and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Depp's second film release of 2010 was the romantic thriller '' The Tourist'', in which he starred opposite Angelina Jolie. It was commercially successful, although panned by critics. Regardless, he received Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe nominations for both films.

Depp's first 2011 film release was the animated film '' Rango'', in which he voiced the title character, a lizard. It was a major critical and commercial success. His second film of the year, the fourth installment in the ''Pirates'' series, ''On Stranger Tides'', was again a box office hit, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2011. Later in 2011, Depp released the first two projects co-produced by his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was a film adaptation of the novel '' The Rum Diary'' by Hunter S. Thompson and starred Depp. It failed to bring back its production costs and received mixed reviews. The company's second undertaking, Martin Scorsese's '' Hugo'' (2011), garnered major critical acclaim and several awards nominations, but similarly did not perform well in the box office. In 2011, Depp also made a brief cameo in the Adam Sandler film '' Jack and Jill''.

By 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. That year, he and his ''21 Jump Street'' co-stars Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' feature film adaptation. Depp also starred in and co-produced his eighth film with Tim Burton, ''Dark Shadows'' (2012), alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eva Green. The film was based on a 1960s Gothic television soap opera of the same name, which had been one of his favorites as a child. The film's poor reception in the United States brought Depp's star appeal into question.

After Infinitum Nihil's agreement with WB expired in 2011, Depp signed a multi-year first-look deal with Walt Disney Studios. The first film made in the collaboration was ''The Lone Ranger'' (2013), in which Depp starred as Tonto. Depp's casting as a Native American brought accusations of whitewashing, and the film was not well received by the public or the critics, causing Disney to take a US$190 million loss. Following a brief cameo in the independent film '' Lucky Them'' (2013), Depp starred as an AI-studying scientist in the sci-fi thriller '' Transcendence'' (2014), which was yet another commercial failure, and earned mainly negative reviews. His other roles in 2014 were a minor supporting part as The Wolf in the film adaptation of ''Into the Woods'', and a more substantial appearance as eccentric French-Canadian ex-detective in Kevin Smith's horror-comedy ''Tusk'', in which he was credited by the character's name, Guy LaPointe.

In 2015, Depp appeared in two films produced by Infinitum Nihil. The first was comedy-thriller '' Mortdecai'', in which he acted opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. The film was a critical and commercial failure and brought both stars Golden Raspberry nominations. The second film, '' Black Mass'' (2015), in which he played Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, was better received. Critics from ''The Hollywood Reporter'' and '' Variety'' called it one of Depp's best performances to date, and the role earned Depp his third nomination for the Best Actor SAG award. However, the film failed to bring back its production costs. Depp also made a cameo appearance in the critically panned '' London Fields'', starring his then-wife Amber Heard, which was to be released in 2015, but its general release was delayed by litigation until 2018. In addition to his work in films in 2015, French luxury fashion house Dior signed Depp as the face of their men's fragrance, Sauvage, and he was inducted as a Disney Legend.

Depp's first film release in 2016 was '' Yoga Hosers'', a sequel to ''Tusk'' (2014), in which Depp appeared with his daughter, Lily-Rose Depp. Next, he played businessman and presidential candidate Donald Trump in a Funny or Die satire entitled '' Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie'', released during the run-up to the US presidential election. He earned praise for the role, with a headline from ''The A.V. Club'' declaring, "Who knew Donald Trump was the comeback role Johnny Depp needed?". It was also announced that Depp had been cast in a new franchise role as Dr. Jack Griffin/The Invisible Man in Universal Studios's planned shared film universe entitled the Dark Universe, a rebooted version of their classic Universal Monsters franchise. One of the severed zombie heads featured in '' The Walking Dead'' season 6 episode " Not Tomorrow Yet" was based on Depp. Episode director Greg Nicotero said, "I think we had sculpted an emaciated version of a dummy head for something and we used Johnny Depp's head as a basis just for a clay sculpt." Depp reprised the role of the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's '' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016), the sequel to ''Alice in Wonderland''. In contrast to the first film's success, the sequel lost Disney approximately US$70 million. It also gained Depp two Golden Raspberry nominations. Depp had also been secretly cast to play dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in a cameo appearance in '' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (2016), the first installment of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' franchise. His name was not mentioned in the promotional materials and his cameo was only revealed at the end of the film.

In 2017, Depp appeared alongside other actors and filmmakers in '' The Black Ghiandola'', a short film made by a terminally ill teenager through the non-profit Make a Film Foundation. He also reprised his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment of the ''Pirates'' series, '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). In the US, it did not perform as well as previous installments, and Depp was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards for worst actor and for worst screen combo with "his worn-out drunk routine". However, the film had a good box office return internationally, especially in China, Japan and Russia. Depp's last film release in 2017 was the Agatha Christie adaptation ''Murder on the Orient Express'', in which he was part of an ensemble cast led by director-star Kenneth Branagh.

In 2018, Depp voiced the title character Sherlock Gnomes in the animated movie '' Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes''. Although moderately commercially successful, it was critically panned and earned Depp two Golden Raspberry nominations, one for his acting and another for his "fast-fading film career". Depp then starred in two independent films, both produced by him and his company, Infinitum Nihil. The first was '' City of Lies'', in which he starred as Russell Poole, an LAPD detective who attempts to solve the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. It was set for release in September 2018, but was pulled from the release schedule after a crew member sued Depp for assault. The second film was the comedy-drama '' Richard Says Goodbye'', in which Depp played a professor with terminal cancer. It premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in October 2018. Depp's last film release of 2018 was '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'', in which he reprised his role as Grindelwald. Depp's casting received criticism from fans of the series due to the domestic violence allegations against him.

Depp also experienced other career setbacks around this time, as Disney confirmed that they would not be casting him in new ''Pirates'' installments and he was reported to no longer be attached to Universal's Dark Universe franchise. Depp's next films was the independent drama '' Waiting for the Barbarians'' (2019), which premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and is based on a novel by J. M. Coetzee.

2020s: Personal struggles and resurgence

In '' Minamata'' (2020), Depp portrayed photographer W. Eugene Smith. The film premiered at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival. In November 2020, Depp resigned from his role as Grindelwald in the ''Fantastic Beasts'' franchise at the request of its production company, Warner Bros., after he lost his UK libel case against ''The Sun'', which had accused him of being a domestic abuser. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

In March 2021, ''City of Lies'', which was originally scheduled for 2018, was released in theaters and streaming services. The same month, an online petition to bring Depp back to the ''Pirates'' franchise, begun four months earlier, reached its goal of 500,000 signatures. His ''Pirates'' co-star Kevin McNally also expressed support for Depp returning to the role. In July 2021, Andrew Levitas, the director of ''Minamata'' (2020), accused MGM of trying to bury the film due to Depp's involvement, with Depp claiming he is being boycotted by the Hollywood industry and calling his changed reputation an "absurdity of media mathematics". ''Minamata'' was released in the UK and Ireland in August 2021, and in North America in December 2021. The film received positive reviews, with multiple publications praising Depp's performance as his best in years. Depp also continues as the face of Dior's men's fragrance, Sauvage.

Depp received multiple honorary awards at numerous European film festivals, including at the Camerimage festival in Poland, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, and the San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain, where Depp was awarded the Donostia Award. These awards were controversial, with various domestic violence charities criticizing the festivals. The organizers of the ceremonies released statements defending their decision to award Depp, with the San Sebastian Film Festival stating that "he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women".

In September 2021, Depp described himself as a victim of cancel culture. The same month, he launched IN.2, a London-based sister company to his production company, Infinitum Nihil, and announced that IN.2 and the Spanish production company ''A Contracorriente Films'' were starting a new development fund for TV and film projects. On February 15, 2022, Depp received the Serbian Gold Medal of Merit from President Aleksandar Vučić for "outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world". ''Minamata'' and animated series '' Puffins'' were shot in the country.

On May 29, 2022, Depp, who was still awaiting a verdict in his highly publicized defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, made a surprise appearance at a Jeff Beck gig in Sheffield, playing guitar alongside Beck to three classic songs from John Lennon, Marvin Gaye and Jimi Hendrix. Depp joined Beck on his last concert tour in the UK and Europe during June and July and in the United States in October and November, to promote their album '' 18''. In August 2022, he made a cameo appearance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.

Depp next starred as King Louis XV in French actor-director Maïwenn's period film '' Jeanne Du Barry'' (2023). This was the first film for Depp where he acted in French. The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as the opening film, where it was greeted with a 7-minute standing ovation and received a mixed reception from film critics. Many critics deemed it Depp's comeback role, something he did not agree with.

'' Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness'' (2024), was Depp's first directorial effort in over 25 years. The film is about 72 hours in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, and Depp co-produced it through his European company IN.2 Film, alongside Al Pacino. It stars Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, Al Pacino and Antonia Desplat, and it is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre. Principal photography commenced in September 2023 in Budapest, Hungary and was completed in Los Angeles and Turin in early 2024. The film premiered at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 24, 2024, where it was received warmly by the audience with a lengthy standing ovation.

Other ventures

In 2004, Depp founded film production company Infinitum Nihil to develop projects where he will serve as actor or producer. He serves as its CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president. The company's first two film releases were '' The Rum Diary'' (2011) and '' Hugo'' (2011). A European sister-company to Infinitum Nihil, entitled IN.2, was launched in September 2021. In a press release, Depp stated: "From the student to the maestro, from the aspiring artists to the yet-knowns, to the well-established great masters across all forms of modern media, IN.2 will build a space where artists can be artists, where they will be free to create those unexpected moments, those happy accidents that contain the propensity to constitute great art and so bring their unique vision to life."

Depp co-owned the nightclub The Viper Room in Los Angeles from 1993 to 2003, and he was also part owner of the restaurant-bar Man Ray in Paris for a short period of time. Depp and Douglas Brinkley edited folk singer Woody Guthrie's novel ''House of Earth'', which was published in 2013.

Music

Prior to his acting career, Depp was a guitarist, and has later featured on songs by Oasis

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