AGI – Johnny Depp, the rock star of Hollywood cinema, turns 60. John Christopher Depp II was born in such a way that Owensboro on the Ohio River in the state of Kentucky, which has fewer than 60,000 inhabitants, set out from there to conquer the world one of the most popular and controversial (even hated) artists in the history of the seventh art.
Johnny Depp started with “Nightmare”, then moved on to “Platoon”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Ed Wood” and continued with “Donnie Brasco”, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” , “Sleepy Hollow”, “Chocolat”, “Blow”, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, “Secret Window”, “Neverland”, “The Chocolate Factory”, “Parnassus – The Man Who Would Cheat the Devil”, ” Alice in Wonderland”, “Dark Shadows” and many other films that actually formed a great bracket in the history of cinema; This led him to work with masters such as Wes Craven, Oliver Stone, Tim Burton, Emir Kusturica, Jim Jarmusch, Terry Gilliam, Roman Polaski, Robert Rodriguez, Marc Forster, Michael Mann, Rob Marshall and Kevin Smith.
Quite apart from the parenthesis regarding the Pirates of the Caribbean Saga, not only because it probably led him to the role, or at least one of the roles, for which he will forever be remembered, but because perhaps more, and better than the others, through the character of the pirate Jack Sparrow, one can guess what the decisions are, the gait, the intentions of a character like Depp. And to think that he doesn’t He had never thought of cinemaHe moved to Los Angeles in the late ’70s to start his career as a guitarist and wasn’t that far with his garage band The Kids, with whom he will open up the lives of Talking Heads, the B52s and Iggy Pop. his musical idol since time immemorial.
The Debut
Now he’s getting married too, she’s make-up artist Lori Ann Allison, six years his senior, they’ve only been together for two, but long enough to meet a friend of his wife’s: Nicolas Cage, who sees us further than anyone else and immediately proposes it to their agent, who proposes it to him Craven for his cult “Nightmare” and is hired. It’s love at first sight between Depp and acting, the kids actually break up soon after and he’s hired by Oliver Stone for one of his masterpieces, Platoon. In 1987, television arrives with the series The Four of the Police Academy, which isn’t exactly the most intellectual of projects, but it’s the title that pays tribute to him as a teenage idol.
But the role does not appeal to him, it lasts three years and in 1990 he meets one of the most important people of his career and life: Tim Burton, who wants him for the main role of his next project “Edward Scissorhands”, “he and his then Partner, the young Winona Ryder, for whom he has “Winona Forever” tattooed on her arm, whom he will then surgically transform into “Wino Forever”, that is, “Drunk Forever”. The step has definitely been taken: Johnny Depp is a world star.
The excesses
But success, as can happen, leads to excesses, Depp opens the Viper Room, He drinks heavily and uses cocaine heavily; To bring him to his senses, only the death of his friend River Phoenix from an overdose, which happened right on the sidewalk of his own restaurant, is responsible. The 90’s are coming and he plays a cast of characters who become real icons, from the undercover FBI agent of Donnie Brasco to the toxic reporter of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
In this decade, Depp has had a lot of success talk about relationships, from supermodel Kate Moss to some glamorous fellows like Sherilyn Fenn, Juliette Lewis and Jennifer Grey. However, he finds some stability with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer well known in Paris, where the two will live together in 1998; and the following year their first daughter, Lily-Rose Melody, was born. These are still turbulent years, but also full of titles that conquer the box office around the world and make him the absolute star of world cinema.
The Pirates of the Caribbean
2002 also saw the birth of Jack John Christopher Depp III, his second child, and the year after that follows Moment of the saga that will change his life, the “Pirates of the Caribbean”, which is directed by Jack Sparrow, a character Depp inspired by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards (who will later play Jack’s father, Captain Edward Teague, in the third, fourth, and fifth films). Sparrow’s character is uncoordinated, funny, daring, a whole new family cinema antihero, but somehow perfectly representing the style and charm that Depp gleaned from audiences and that somehow recurs in every character played.
Like that of Willy Wonka, who was proposed to him in 2010 by Tim Burton (he was best man at whose wedding he was also best man), who could only count on one friend and one champion to remake a film starring the immortal Gene Wilder. Parallel to his film career, he picks up the guitar to continue making music, participates in the composition of the song “Fade In-Out” by Oasis, forms the band P, which also includes Gibby Haynes, frontman of The Butthole Surfers , Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Steve Jones, guitarist for the Sex Pistols. However, he achieved the greatest success together with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, with whom he founded the Hollywood Vampires, which not only became active but also became increasingly popular. His next project will be Italy, as he has announced he will be directing and producing a film about artist Amedeo Modigliani: alongside Depp, the biopic is being produced by Al Pacino and Barry Navidi.
The relationship with Amber Heard
A chapter of its own, certainly not the last in terms of importance and media relevance but only in chronological order, deserves its relationship with Amber Heard, known on the set of The Rum Diary. In the beginning it all starts with a lot of romance, a lot of simplicity, from the outside it seemed like the right thing to do, on February 3, 2015 the two were legally married at the actor’s home in West Hollywood. while the spouses and guests headed to the beach on Little Hall’s Pond Cay, the actor’s Bahamas island, for the celebrations.
mom After only 15 months of marriage, Heard files for divorce by Depp, who claims to have suffered physical violence. We are at the dawn of the feminist me-too movement, the world of American cinema (and not only) recognizes that there is a problem as big as a house: that of harassment and violence against which women (and not only) suffer. Amber Hard reports him and files for divorce. He hits back, accusing her of adultery, defamation and domestic violence, and demanding compensation totaling $50 million.
And long process which ended exactly one year ago with the actor’s victory and Heard’s corresponding award of $10.35 million in damages. A dramatic chapter in the life of the American actor: while the victory in the trial did not dispel all public opinion’s doubts about his behavior towards his ex-wife and his reputation as a “pirate and villain of the big screen”, it nevertheless remained marked.
