Before becoming an actor, he planned to become a rocker, playing in various bands. However, his friend said that he had all the predispositions to become a screen star. It was at his suggestion that he took part in a casting for the low-budget horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” directed by Wes Craven, in which he made his debut in 1984. Back then, he had no idea that this small role would completely change his life.
This series launched Johnny Depp’s career and put him in a pigeonhole. This is how he fought against being labeled a teenager idol
The breakthrough came quickly, because in 1987 he played the main character Tom Hanson in the youth hit “21 Jum Street”, broadcast for the next two years on Fox. His recognition quickly skyrocketed, earning him the tag of a teen idol, which did not make him optimistic at all. “To be honest, in the last two years of recording I probably did everything I could to get fired,” he admitted honestly. He wanted to develop, thus presenting the range of his possibilities, but he was closed in a pigeonhole. Then he decided to take matters into his own hands.
His first stop on the way to changing his image was John Waters’ comedy “Cry-Baby”, known in Poland as “Beksa”, in which he played the role of a rebellious musician, gaining not only the recognition of viewers but also critics. – I knew how important this role was, as it gave me the opportunity to make fun of the label assigned to me – he recalled. But the real revolution in his career was to come soon.
Johnny Depp fought for a role in Tim Burton’s cult film. This changed his career forever
It is no secret that one of the best acting performances is the one in “Edward Scissorhands” from 1990. Few people know that he almost didn’t play the iconic hero loved by millions of viewers around the world. In the documentary “Untitled Tim Burton Docuseries”, which premiered on June 10, 2024 at the Tribeca festival in New York, he revealed that he had a lot of doubts already at the stage of sending the application.
At that time, the director already had an established position in the industry, after the success of “Beetlejuice” and “Frankenweenie”, and the biggest Hollywood stars were seeking cooperation with him. It was no different in this case, because they also wanted to play the cyborg boy, among others. , Michael Jackson and . – The hero was beautiful, the text was beautiful. I think what captivated me was that Edward was me. It was exactly what I was supposed to do,” Depp recalled in the documentary. “But he’ll never hire me if everyone in Hollywood wants this role,” he quoted the words that were constantly ringing in his head at the time. He was so afraid of competing with the latter that he simply wanted to resign at the final stage of the casting. When his agent heard about it, he almost became furious. – Are you crazy?! – he was supposed to hear in response.
Ultimately, he decided to take a risk and went to what was to be the decisive meeting. When he received the role that, as it later turned out, changed his career and perception in the industry forever, he was shocked. It also resulted in a beautiful friendship with Burton and many years of cooperation. Together they created, among others: “Ed Wood” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, for which he was nominated for an Oscar in 2007. If you feel like it, vote in our poll below.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
