Who Is Johnny Depp?

Born in Kentucky in 1963, Johnny Depp landed his first legitimate movie role in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He began studying acting in earnest, the lessons paying off by 1987, when he landed a role on the TV show 21 Jump Street. He has since become known for his willingness to take on darker roles in films such as Edward Scissorhands (1990), Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Alice in Wonderland (2010), as well as his starring efforts in the big-budget Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Early Life

Actor Johnny Depp was born John Christopher Depp II, in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, to parents John and Betty Sue Depp. Depp’s father worked as a civil engineer and his mother worked as a waitress and homemaker. The youngest of four children, Depp was withdrawn and a self-admitted oddball. “I made odd noises as a child,” he later revealed in an interview. “Just did weird things, like turn off light switches twice. I think my parents thought I had Tourette’s syndrome.”