John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born 9 June 1963) is an American actor, producer, and musician who portrayed a middle-aged Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Outside of the Wizarding World franchise, Johnny Depp is most famous for his roles in Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Biography[]
Early life and career[]
Johnny Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, and raised in Florida, as the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer (née Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. The family moved frequently during Depp's childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar, Florida, in 1970. With the gift of a guitar from his mother when he was 12, Depp began playing in various garage bands. A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. Depp began his career as a musician with the rock group The Kids, which took him to Los Angeles. When the band broke up, Depp turned to an acting career, taking the advice of actor Nicolas Cage, and earned his first major acting job in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Career[]
Though Depp said he "didn't have any desire to be an actor", he continued to be cast in films. Depp followed A Nightmare on Elm Street with roles in several films, including Oliver Stone's Academy Award–winning Platoon before landing the role that would prove to be his breakthrough, as undercover detective Tom Hanson on the popular TV show 21 Jump Street. He starred on the series for four seasons before starring as the title role in John Waters' Cry-Baby. It was Depp's compelling performance in the title role of Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands that established him as one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents and earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination as Best Actor. He was honoured with another Golden Globe® nomination for his work in the offbeat love story Benny & Joon, directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. Depp reunited with Burton for the critically acclaimed Ed Wood, and his performance garnered him yet another Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Depp starred and made his feature directorial debut opposite Marlon Brando in The Brave, a film based on the novel by Gregory McDonald. He co-wrote the screenplay with his brother D. P. Depp.
As Captain Jack Sparrow, Depp received his first Academy Award nomination, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He reprised the role of Sparrow in various film sequels, video games, and Disney theme park attractions. Depp received his second Academy Award nomination, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination and BAFTA nomination for his role as J.M. Barrie in Marc Forster's Finding Neverland, in which he starred opposite Kate Winslet and Freddie Highmore. In 2004, Depp starred in The Libertine as 17th-century womanising poet John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester.
In 2005, Depp collaborated with Tim Burton on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, and Corpse Bride, which received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Animated Film in 2006. In 2008, Depp received his third Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, winning a Golden Globe Award for the role.
Other screen credits include Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck's The Tourist, David Koepp's Secret Window, Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Albert and Allen Hughes' From Hell, Ted Demme's Blow, Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat, Julian Schnabel's Before Night Falls, Sally Potter's The Man Who Cried, Burton's Sleepy Hollow, Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Mike Newell's Donnie Brasco with Al Pacino, Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man and Jeremy Leven's Don Juan DeMarco, in which he starred opposite Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway, as well as Lasse Hallstrom's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Emir Kusturica's Arizona Dream and John Badham's Nick of Time.
His other successful roles include starring as real-life criminal John Dillinger opposite Christian Bale and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in Michael Mann's Public Enemies, as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Musical, and voicing the title role of Gore Verbinski's critically acclaimed Rango. Johnny Depp also starred in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and Bruce Robinson's The Rum Diary, both of which were produced by his company, Infinitum Nihil. In 2012, Depp reunited with original Pirates director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio in the 2013 film The Lone Ranger.
Wizarding World[]
Fantastic Beasts[]
A still of a promotional featurette reveals Gellert Grindelwald in the film inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
At the premiere of Alice Through the Looking Glass in May 2016, Johnny Depp was noted to have sported an unusual undercut. When asked to comment, he said "I cut it for a little part I did in a film".[2] In November 2016, it was reported that Johnny Depp had been cast as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series. While Depp was announced for the sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the actor did appear in first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.[3][4] Prior to the initial announcement, Grindelwald appeared in a promotional featurette for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, attacking a group of wizards.
Depp's casting received criticism and negative reactions from some fans, partly due to domestic violence allegations against him. In an interview with The Leaky Cauldron, Fantastic Beasts director David Yates and producer David Heyman defended the casting. David Yates stated, "the whole principal of casting the movie was go with the best actor. Go for the most inspired, interesting, right fit for that character. And as we approached Grindelwald we thought, 'who's going to take this in an interesting direction?' [...] So we went for him, purely on that selfish basis. We don't care if he's famous or not famous. We just know he's interesting."[5] Speaking at the premiere of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, J. K. Rowling admitted that she was "delighted" with the casting of Johnny Depp, saying "he has done incredible things with that character".[6] On 7 December, 2017, Rowling weighed in further on the Grindelwald casting in a piece posted on her official website. Rowling wrote that she understood fans' concerns about the choice to not recast the role, but based on their understanding of the situation, "the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies."[7]
Depp in costume as Gellert Grindelwald at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2018.
On 21 July 2018, after the first official trailer for the film premiered at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance as Gellert Grindelwald in full costume.[8][9] About Rowling's response, Depp said in October 2018, "I'll be honest with you, I felt bad for J. K. having to field all these various feelings from people out there. I felt bad that she had to take that." He also said it was his idea for the character to have heterochromia, as he said he saw Grindelwald as "more than one [...] almost as though he was two people."[10]
Johnny Depp hinted that he might return to portray Gellert Grindelwald.[11] However, in November 2020, the actor announced he would not reprise the role after being asked by Warner Bros. to step down, due to negative publicity resulting from the libel case Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd, which Depp agreed to the request and resigned.[12] Regardless, his contract stipulated that he be paid regardless of whether the film was completed or not.[13] Depp's salary was reportedly somewhere between $10–16 million.[14] Jude Law stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Johnny Depp shot a day's worth of scenes for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, speculating it was on his own.[15]
On 25 November, Warner Bros. announced that Mads Mikkelsen would replace Johnny Depp in the role of Gellert Grindelwald.[16] On replacing Depp, Mikkelsen noted that it would be a "creative suicide" to copy Depp's "masterful" portrayal as Grindelwald, having developed his own take on the character, and admitted that a "bridge" should be needed between Depp's performance and his own,[17] having been a fan of Depp since his early films.[18] Despite the release of The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen believed that Johnny Depp could return as Grindelwald in another film.[19][20]
Selective filmography[]
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Edward Scissorhands | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| 1993 | Benny & Joon | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| MTV Movie | Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | ||
| 1994 | Ed Wood | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | Satellite | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| Saturn | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2001 | From Hell | Saturn | Best Actor | Nominated |
| 2003 | Once Upon a Time in Mexico | Satellite | Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical | Nominated |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Academy | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| BAFTA Film | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | ||
| Empire | Best Actor | Won | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| IFTA | Best International Actor | Won | ||
| MTV Movie | Best Male Performance | Won | ||
| Best Comedic Performance | Nominated | |||
| Satellite | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| Saturn | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie: Fight | Won | ||
| Choice Movie: Liar | Won | |||
| 2004 | Finding Neverland | Academy | Best Actor | Nominated |
| BAFTA Film | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Nominated | ||
| Satellite | Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Nominated | ||
| Saturn | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Drama | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| IFTA | Best International Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Comedy | Won | ||
| 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| MTV Movie | Best Performance | Won | ||
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Action | Won | ||
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | MTV Movie | Best Comedic Performance | Won |
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Action | Won | ||
| Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Academy | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Won | ||
| MTV Movie | Best Villain | Won | ||
| Saturn | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie: Villain | Won | ||
| 2009 | Public Enemies | Satellite | Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Nominated |
| Teen Choice | Choice Summer Movie Star: Male | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated |
| The Tourist | Golden Globe | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
| Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Action | Won | ||
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Nominated |
| Rango | Teen Choice | Choice Movie: Voice | Won | |
| 2014 | Into the Woods | Satellite | Best Ensemble – Motion Picture | Won |
| 2015 | Black Mass | Satellite | Best Actor | Nominated |
| 2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | N/A | ||
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | ||||
| 2017 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | Teen Choice | Choice Movie Actor: Action | Nominated |
| Murder on the Orient Express | N/A | |||
| 2018 | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | Teen Choice | Choice Movie: Villain | Nominated |
Behind the scenes[]
- Grindelwald appeared in a promotional featurette for the film inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, attacking a group of wizards. On the premiere of Alice Through the Looking Glass in May 2016, Johnny Depp was noted to have sported an unusual undercut and, when asked to comment, said "I cut it for a little part I did in a film".[2]
- Johnny Depp was in the 1997 film Donnie Brasco, which was directed by Mike Newell (director of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and scored by Patrick Doyle (composer of Goblet of Fire).
- Depp has appeared in three films outside the Wizarding World franchise with Olympe Maxime actress Frances de la Tour: Alice in Wonderland (2010), Hugo (2011), and Into the Woods (2014).
- Depp is one of the producers for Hugo and had a cameo in it. The film is based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a historical fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, the cover artist for the US 20th Anniversary Edition of Harry Potter.
- It also featured Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley), Jude Law (Younger Albus Dumbledore), and Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy).
- Depp is one of the producers for Hugo and had a cameo in it. The film is based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a historical fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, the cover artist for the US 20th Anniversary Edition of Harry Potter.
- Depp, alongside Jude Law and Colin Farrell (Percival Graves), portrayed the same character under different stages of transformation in the 2009 film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
- They were recast of the same role due to the death of the character's original actor, Heath Ledger.
- Depp has starred in three films outside the Wizarding World franchise with Peter Pettigrew actor Timothy Spall, Severus Snape actor Alan Rickman, and Bellatrix Lestrange actress Helena Bonham Carter: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, and Alice Through the Looking Glass.
- Sweeney Todd also featured Younger Gellert Grindelwald actor Jamie Campbell Bower.
- Sans the mentioned, Wonderland also featured Stephen Fry (UK audiobook narrator), Paul Whitehouse (Sir Cadogan), and Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge).
- Through the Looking Glass, the sequel of Wonderland, additionally featured Xenophilius Lovegood actor Rhys Ifans.
- Sans the mentioned, Depp has worked alongside Helena Bonham Carter in four other films: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Dark Shadows (2012), and The Lone Ranger (2013).
- Corpse Bride also featured Paul Whitehouse.
- Depp has also starred alongside several other actors and actresses from the Harry Potter films in various projects:
- Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter), Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), and Richard Griffiths in the 1999 film Sleepy Hollow.
- Julie Christie (Rosmerta), Ian Hart (Quirinus Quirrell), Kelly Macdonald (Helena Ravenclaw), Paul Whitehouse, and Toby Jones (voice of Dobby) in the 2004 film Finding Neverland.
- Bill Nighy (Rufus Scrimgeour) in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Rango (2011), and Minamata (2020).
- Dead Man's Chest also featured Simon Meacock (Krafft).
- Richard Griffiths and Bronson Webb (Pike) in the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) and Sean Francis George in the 2017 film Murder on the Orient Express, which was directed by Branagh and scored by Patrick Doyle.
- Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall) and Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) in the 2018 film Sherlock Gnomes.
- Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) and Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley) in the 2019 film Waiting for the Barbarians.
External links[]
Johnny Depp on Wikipedia- Johnny Depp filmography on Wikipedia
- List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp on Wikipedia
- Johnny Depp at the Internet Movie Database
- Johnny Depp's official account on Facebook
- Johnny Depp's official account on Instagram
Notes and references[]
- ↑
Johnny Depp at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Johnny Depp Debuts Bold New Haircut, Gushes About Daughter Lily-Rose's Chanel Modeling: 'She's Killing It'" at Entertainment Tonight Online
- ↑ "Johnny Depp Joins J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Sequel — And May Even Be In The First Film" at ETCanada.com
- ↑ ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’: Johnny Depp Confirmed as Grindelwald; Setting Revealed
- ↑ Davids Yates and Heyman Spill Fantastic Beasts Secrets: Paris, Dumbledore, Depp, Credence and more!
- ↑ JK Rowling addresses Johnny Depp casting in Fantastic Beasts for first time
- ↑ Grindelwald casting - J.K. Rowling - Archived
- ↑ Johnny Depp Surprises Comic-Con as His Dark Fantastic Beasts Character: 'The Moment Has Come' - People.com
- ↑ Johnny Depp invades Fantastic Beasts 2 Comic-Con panel dressed as Grindelwald - Digital Spy
- ↑ Johnny Depp breaks silence on Fantastic Beasts sequel role - Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ Johnny Depp on 'The Crimes of Grindelwald' and His Most Iconic Roles - Collider - Archived
- ↑ Johnny Depp Forced to Exit 'Fantastic Beasts' Franchise - Variety - Archived
- ↑ Behind Warner Bros.' Decision to Sever Ties With Johnny Depp - The Hollywood Reporter - Archived
- ↑ "He's Radioactive": Inside Johnny Depp's Self-Made Implosion - The Hollywood Reporter - Archived
- ↑ Jude law talking about Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3
- ↑ Johnny Depp Leaves Role Of Grindelwald For Fantastic Beasts 3
- ↑ Mads Mikkelsen on Replacing Johnny Depp in 'Fantastic Beasts 3': "You Have to Make It Your Own" - Collider - Archived
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts 3's Mads Mikkelsen Just Compared His Grindelwald To Johnny Depp's - CinemaBlend - Archived
- ↑ Johnny Depp could return as Grindelwald in future Fantastic Beasts film,says Mads Mikkelsen - Marca
- ↑ Mads Mikkelsen on Why Johnny Depp Might Return to Fantastic Beasts - GameRant