ACTOR · BORN 1963
Johnny Depp
- Born
- 9 June 1963, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
- Known for
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
237 archived facts 5 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Sep 2026
Johnny Depp: 42 Facts About Characters and Roles
- #027
Depp was originally set to play John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but turned the offer down after becoming overworked with his other films.
- #031
While dining with a group of friends at Chicago's famous Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, among them Public Enemies (2009) co-star Marion Cotillard and director Michael Mann, Depp left a huge $4,000 tip on a $4,400 bill, leaving an incredible 90% tip. The party of 15 was celebrating the red-carpet screening of the then newly released Public Enemies (2009).
- #047
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Andy Dufrene in The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
- #061
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Charles Chaplin in Chaplin (1992) before Robert Downey Jr. was cast.
- #079
He won the Favorite Movie Male Actor of the Decade award at the 2010 People's Choice Awards. Depp was honored by Sacha Baron Cohen, his co-star in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).
- #095
His portrayal of "Ichabod Crane" in Sleepy Hollow (1999) was reportedly based on "Withnail" in Withnail and I (1987), played by Richard E. Grant.
- #098
He was considered for several roles in Pulp Fiction (1994): Butch Coolidge (which went to Bruce Willis), Pumpkin/Ringo (which went to Tim Roth) and Lance (which went to Eric Stoltz).
- #100
When he was cast as "Willy Wonka" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), many newspapers ran headlines about "Depp's Willy" and "Deppy's Willy is a Bit Wonkier".
- #103
He was considered for the role of Detective Nick Peretti in New Jack City (1991) but was deemed too expensive for the film.
- #106
He was considered for John Leguizamo's role in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).
- #109
He was considered for the role of Mikael Blomkvist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).
- #111
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Pennywise in the 2017 film It.
- #118
After Brad Pitt dropped out, Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Cal McCaffery in the 2009 film State of Play. The role went to Russell Crowe instead.
- #126
He was the first choice for Jackie Boy in Sin City (2005). The role went to his Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) co-star Benicio Del Toro.
- #128
He turned down the lead role in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) in favor of The Lone Ranger (2013).
- #133
He was initially considered for the role of M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
- #135
He was set to star in American Psycho (2000), directed by Stuart Gordon from a screenplay by Bret Easton Ellis.
- #136
He was considered for the role of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001).
- #140
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Detective Trupo in American Gangster (2007).
- #144
Johnny Depp was considered for Michael J. Fox's role in Mars Attacks! (1996).
- #148
While the project was in early development in the 1990s, Johnny Depp was expected to star in Speed Racer (2008).
- #157
Johnny Depp was Disney's first choice to play a role in The Rocketeer (1991).
- #159
According to Bob Gale, Johnny Depp auditioned for the role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985). "I looked at the notes and said, 'My God, I don't even remember reading Johnny Depp!' So whatever he did, I guess it wasn't that memorable!"
- #166
Johnny Depp has appeared in seven films whose titles carry the name of the character he played: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Cry-Baby (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1994), Donnie Brasco (1997) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).
- #168
Johnny Depp was considered for the roles played by Tom Cruise in Legend (1985), Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) and Jerry Maguire (1996).
- #169
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of JD in Thelma & Louise (1991).
- #177
At one point Johnny Depp was interested in starring in Warcraft (2016).
- #184
Johnny Depp was set to star in a Howard Hughes biopic written and directed by the Hughes Brothers that was never made.
- #190
Johnny Depp was considered for the role of Max in Collateral (2004).
- #191
Johnny Depp auditioned for the lead role in Near Dark (1987), which went to Adrian Pasdar.
- #192
Johnny Depp is currently dating Lisa Marie Presley (not to be confused with Lisa Marie, his co-star in Ed Wood (1994)).
- #199
Johnny Depp was Mario Van Peebles's first choice for the role of Detective Nick Peretti in New Jack City (1991), but he was considered too expensive at the time given the film's limited $8.5 million budget.
- #217
Johnny Depp was criticized for portraying the Native American character Tonto in The Lone Ranger and for naming his rock band Tonto's Giant Nuts.
- #220
Johnny Depp was cast as the lead in the 1986 skating drama Thrashin' by its director, but the film's producer overrode that decision; he instead took a minor supporting part as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon.
- #222
Johnny Depp accepted the 21 Jump Street role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him, and despite the show's success he felt it forced him into the role of product.
- #227
Johnny Depp starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis in Lasse Hallström's 1993 drama What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a film about a dysfunctional family.
- #229
Johnny Depp reunited with director Tim Burton in 1994 to play the title role in Ed Wood, a biographical film about a film director.
- #231
Johnny Depp said the role in Ed Wood gave him a chance to stretch out and have fun, and that working with Martin Landau, who played Bela Lugosi, rejuvenated his love for acting.
- #233
Johnny Depp appeared opposite Marlon Brando in the box-office hit Don Juan DeMarco, playing a man convinced he is Don Juan, the world's greatest lover.
- #234
Johnny Depp starred in Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, a Western filmed entirely in black-and-white that was not a commercial success and received mixed critical reviews.
- #235
In the financial and critical failure Nick of Time, Johnny Depp played an accountant instructed to kill a politician in order to save his kidnapped daughter.
- #236
In 1997, Johnny Depp starred alongside Al Pacino in the crime drama Donnie Brasco, directed by Mike Newell, playing undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone. To prepare for the role, Depp spent time with the real Pistone, whose memoirs inspired the film.
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Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb
- Wikipedia Johnny Depp — Wikipedia
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