Depp always brings interesting characters to the table by his variety of roles. Image via Google.
Johnny Depp has had a long career and has appeared in almost 80 movies over 40 years.
He first got his start in The Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 as a teenager. He played the character Glen Lantz in the film at age 21.
In each of his movie roles, Depp creates expansive and in-depth character development. He manages to tap into each role precisely and makes the characters seem real.
Whether it’s a horror movie or a rom-com, Depp can add to any character’s personality, making the role uniquely his and not something that can be replicated by anyone else.
Gilbert Grape highlights the struggles or taking care of his dysfunctional family. Image via Paramount Pictures
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is a film that takes place in a fictional town in Iowa, where a 25-year-old grocery clerk, Gilbert Grape, takes care of his dysfunctional family. He looks after his mentally disabled brother, Arnie, who wasn't expected to live past childhood; two sisters; and mother, since his father committed suicide 17 years earlier.
His mother is immobile and he is left to earn the house's income and ensure Arnie isn't getting into trouble.
The film was an award winner and it highlights what it is like to live with and care for those with autism. Depp shows the real side of what this is like: It's not always easy and he often gets frustrated at his brother and sisters, even though in the end he only wants the best for him.
Depp captures the role of caregiver and protector of his family in his father's absence precisely and accurately.
Depp plays Willy Wonka in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ Image courtesy of Warner Brothers.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a movie about how Willy Wonka – who grew up without being able to taste candy – goes on as an adult to open the largest candy shop in the world.
He hosts a competition to see who is worthy enough to win a tour of the large candy store. Throughout the film, he sets up tests to see who is worthy enough to own his candy shop one day.
This is a Tim Burton film, and his movies are known for their odd and creative storylines. Depp's version of Wonka is quirky and awkward, at least in part because he improvised most of his lines.
Without Depp and the humor he adds throughout this remake, it wouldn't have been as popular as it is today.
The mad hatter helps Alice escape the Evil Queen in Alice and Wonderland. Image via Disney.
Alice and Wonderland (2010)
Alice and Wonderland is a film focused on a girl's imaginary world that features friends like the Mad Hatter, played by Depp. They are trying to stop the Queen of Hearts and her reign of terror over Underland.
The Hatter is a crazy and outlandish man who says things that do not make sense or do not relate to the conversation being had. But he also becomes a big help to Alice when she tries to escape. Depp plays this insane and quirky character exceptionally well throughout this movie.
It is another example of Depp’s ability to switch among serious, comedic, and horror roles. He taps into each part, making the character’s feelings and actions seem real.
