Johnny Depp’s filmography is a perfect reflection of what makes him such a well-regarded and popular actor among movie lovers today. It’s littered with memorable turns in big budget crowd pleasers but peppered in between you’ll find a selection of roles spanning a variety of genres.
Horror movies, musicals, action films, indie dramas, biopics, crime thrillers and rom-coms all feature alongside so much more besides. So when it comes to identifying Depp’s most iconic roles, it’s important to give consideration to these two sides of his career: the blockbuster star and the actor’s actor. Featuring underrated recent performances alongside award-worthy roles, here are seven of Johnny Depp’s most iconic movie roles.
7. James ‘Whitey’ Bulger – Black Mass (2015)
Director Scott Cooper’s suitably understated retelling of the murky life and times of Boston crime lord turned secret informant James ‘Whitey’ Bulger earned plenty of praise upon release, with the bulk of the plaudits going to Depp for his vividly realized turn as the aforementioned Bulger.
READ NEXT: I Am Legend 2: Everything We Know So Far
Branded “fully convincing and frightening” in the role by Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter, Depp’s performance earned him awards at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, but no Academy Award nomination was forthcoming which, to this day, remains baffling.
6. Wade ‘’Cry Baby’ Walker – Cry Baby (1990)
A couple of years on from early roles in A Nightmare On Elm Street and Platoon, Depp bagged his first notable starring role in John Waters’ underappreciated Cry Baby. Set in 1950s Baltimore, and centered on a group of delinquent youths known colloquially as “drapes” and their trials and tribulations as they come up against the rest of their hometown
READ NEXT: Andrew Garfield’s New Spider-Man Movie: Everything We Know
Depp plays the titular Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, a local bad boy with a soft spot for Amy Locane’s Allison, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend. A fun, musical ode to teenagedom, Depp showed himself to be a star only too happy to poke fun at his own poster boy image at the time. That willingness to subvert expectations would become a hallmark of Depp’s career.
5. Raoul Duke – Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
Terry Gilliam pulled off the impossible by turning Hunter S. Thompson’s seemingly unfilmable novel into something strange but surprisingly watchable. Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone tried to get this project off the ground and although Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has its weak spots, Depp definitely isn’t one of them.
The story goes that Thompson was so impressed with Depp upon first meeting, he became convinced no one else could play Raoul Duke, the semi-fictional surrogate character the author speaks through in the novel. Depp went all out, shaving his head to match Thompson’s male pattern baldness, wearing the author’s clothes, trading in his car for a version of Thompson’s famous red Chevrolet Caprice convertible and spending several weeks staying in the basement of the writer’s home.
READ NEXT: John Wick 5: Co-Creator Offers Cryptic Update On Future Sequel Plans
It did the trick…eventually. Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas drew lukewarm reviews but has garnered a cult following since, with Depp drawing praise for his suitably unhinged turn in what proved a precursor for the manic energy he would bring to Pirates of the Caribbean.
4. Joseph D. Pistone – Donnie Brasco (1997)
Based on Joseph D. Pistone’s nonfiction book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life In The Mafia, this nuanced take on the familiar tale about organized crime is significantly bolstered by Depp, giving what was arguably his most measured performance to date alongside co-star Al Pacino. Depp plays Pistone, the FBI undercover agent tasked with bringing down the Bonanno crime family under the guise of jewel thief Donnie Brasco.
READ NEXT: Will There Be Another Resident Evil Movie?
An intelligent crime drama full of twists and turns, Depp spent time with Pistone, who served as an advisor on set, and it shows in his performance. As Brasco, Depp comes off as an authentic Mafioso and one that would certainly be convincing enough to any crime family. But underneath the surface and in the scenes where we see him as Pistone, we see the real man beneath the persona and the fear and anxiety that grips him.
3. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
The first of an astonishing eight film collaborations with director Tim Burton, this vividly realized gothic romantic fantasy saw Johnny Depp shake off the teen heartthrob image he had cultivated with his previous starring role on the TV series 21 Jump Street.
Here he plays Edward Scissorhands, a half-built artificial humanoid born with scissor blades instead of hands, who ends up being taken in by a suburban family. Burton talked to several big names before casting Depp including Tom Cruise, who is reported to have asked for a “happier ending” to the movie, Tom Hanks who was busy with another movie and Gary Oldman who struggled to understand the script at first.
READ NEXT: Keanu Reeves Preparing To Return For ‘Constantine 2’
Given little to say, Depp studied the movements of Charlie Chaplin to perfect his performance. It paid off with Depp’s starring role in this modern fairytale earning rave reviews and proving a bumper box office success.
2. Ed Wood – Ed Wood (1994)
Buoyed by the success of their previous collaboration together, Edward Scissorhands, Depp and Burton re-teamed for this biopic with a difference. Depp took on the role of Ed Wood, the director responsible for 1950s cult classics like Plan 9 From Outer Space.
READ NEXT: Jamie Foxx’s ‘King Spawn’: Everything We Know So Far
Depp was enduring a difficult spell, creatively, and jumped at the chance to play the conflicted filmmaker who, in Burton’s film, reveals himself to be a secret transvestite as well as one of the world’s worst filmmakers. Shot entirely in black and white, Depp and Burton earned plaudits for playing things straight, choosing to let the absurdities and contradictions of Wood’s life naturally come to the fore. The result is an oddly affectionate look back at Wood’s work with Depp imbuing the lead character with a charm and can-do attitude that defies the logic of his situation. Edward Scissorhands might have been the role that launched his movie career but Ed Wood was the moment Depp announced himself as an actor of some considerable talent.
1. Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Depp’s many collaborations with Burton may have brought him plaudits aplenty but to most modern moviegoers, he’s more synonymous for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a performance that added much to a movie that was, to all intents and purposes, inspired by a Disney theme park ride of the same name.
READ NEXT: Brendan Fraser Gives Green Light To The Mummy 4 Return
Michael Keaton, Christopher Walken and Matthew McConaughey were all considered for the part prior to Depp’s casting. Depp hit upon a unique idea for the role during his research. Having read about how 18th century pirates were treated like rockstars, Depp decided to draw influence from Rolling Stones musician Keith Richards. The results, coupled with Depp’s newly gold capped teeth, had executives tearing their hair out that the actor was ruining the movie.. But Depp’s distinctive performance paid off with the film going on to spawn a further four sequels and over $4.5 billion at the box office.. Often imitated but never outdone, the role of Captain Jack Sparrow has become recognizable all around the world and is arguably the actor’s signature role, showcasing his star power, charisma and attention to detail.
