Denton County Living Well Magazine January/February 2016 | Page 35

Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka from
the 2009 movie, Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory.

© by Warne

r Bros.

W

ith more than three decades in Hollywood, 52-yearold Johnny Depp is one of the entertainment industry’s
biggest stars. From a teen idol in the 1980s to box office hits in the
decades following, Depp has played some larger than life roles. Known
for embracing darker characters and a self-admitted “odd ball,” Depp
has carved out a successful niche for himself and doesn’t show any
signs of stopping anytime soon.

Humble beginnings

Commercial success hasn’t always been in the cards for
Depp. Throughout his career, he has shared with several
media sources that his early years were tumultuous and that
he found solace in music. In fact, according to his profile on
Biography.com, Depp originally started out with the goal of
becoming a professional musician.

After Nightmare on Elm Street, Depp’s career begin to take
off. In the late 1980s he became a teen heartthrob in the
television show 21 Jump Street. In true Depp style though,
being a manufactured star wasn’t his goal, so he began
seeking out meatier roles.

A life changing friendship

His early musical pursuits had mild success and it was
through one of his first bands, The Kids, which he made it
out to Los Angeles. His first wife, Lori Anne Allison, introduced him to Nicolas Cage. The fateful meeting would be
a turning point in his life.

As his career moved forward, Depp became known for oddball and sometimes even downright dark roles. He starred
in Platoon, Cry-Baby and began his long-time friendship
with director Tim Burton when he starred in cult classic Edward Scissorhands in 1990.

“Cage saw potential in Depp, and introduced the hopeful musician to a Hollywood agent. After several small roles as a film
extra, Depp landed his first legitimate movie role in the horror
film Nightmare on Elm Street (1984),” cites Biography.com.

A recent E! article summed it up best: “Aside from inspiring
some niche adult entertainment, Edward Scissorhands also
cemented Depp’s reputation early on for being a risk taker,

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