I could of posted this in the Celebrity thread BUT thought since we are on a Johnny Depp bender I would put it here.

The Exotic Appeal of Johnny Depp

It's time to praise Johnny Depp. And examine how he's become such a big star while apparently not wanting it ... at least on the evidence of the roles he's chosen over the years.

Depp has never been as big a star as Tom Cruise (whose role he reputedly turned down in Interview with the Vampire) or Brad Pitt (whose role he turned down in Thelma & Louise).

Until the first Pirates of the Caribbean, he was always one of those actors who didn't seem to crave stardom. Instead of an action flick or a surefire commercial hit, he chose Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man and Sally Potter's The Man Who Cried.

He had a reputation for being a talented maverick who was more interested in being a character actor than a lead.

True, he looked like a star and had a gossip column romantic life with the likes of Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. But his choices - both in his roles and how he played them - always seemed bold.

Sometime bold gets you trouble in Hollywood. Bold can be director Ang Lee making Hulk a grown-up movie.

But when Depp went that way to play Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, he created one of recent cinema's most endearing heroes - a strangely fey, tottering, comical pirate. That role has now paid off in a big way.

The first Pirates took $25.4 million in Australia. The sequel had the biggest opening since the final Star Wars with a very handsome $11.2 million last weekend.

Depp's appeal goes well beyond androgynous good looks and charm. As well as being equally good at romance, comedy and heartfelt drama, he's prepared to risk looking ridiculous and, unlike some Hollywood stars, effeminate to make a character memorable.

So what are Johnny Depp's best performances? Here are my top five ...

5. Cry-Baby (1990)
It's hard leaving out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dead Man, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Finding Neverland, Donnie Brasco, Ed Wood, Blow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and others ... especially for a pretty crappy movie. But Cry-Baby revealed Depp's comic talent and screen presence as juvenile delinquent "Cry-Baby" Walker.

4. Chocolat (2000)
Depp shone as the gypsy Roux in this strangely entertaining romance. With what one critic described as a whisky brogue, he had a relaxed charm that won hearts and suited the movie perfectly.

3. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
One of Depp's five movies so far with director Tim Burton. What's not to love about his portrayal of a lonely and gentle young man with scissors for fingers?

2. Before Night Falls (2000)
Some stars would have run a mile from a supporting role in a drama about a gay Cuban writer. But Depp memorably played both a sexually manipulative prison guard and a tottering transexual with an interesting way of smuggling documents out of prison.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Captain Jack Sparrow earned Depp his first Oscar nomination (his second was for Finding Neverland). The genius was the adventurous decision, especially in a Disney-Jerry Bruckheimer movie based on a theme park ride, to base a pirate captain on rock star Keith Richards.

Why is Johnny Depp so appealling on screen? Do you agree about his five best roles? And do you have a favourite moment from one of his movies?
Garry Maddox
July 13, 2006 01:16 AM

http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/box_office/005176.html

Here is the filmography of Johnny Depp

Shantaram (2008) (announced) .... Lindsay

The Rum Diary (2008) (pre-production) .... Paul Kemp

Sweeney Todd (2008) (pre-production) (rumored) .... Sweeney Todd

I Am Legend (2007) (pre-production) (rumored)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) (filming) .... Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) .... Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow (2006) (VG) (voice) .... Jack Sparrow

Corpse Bride (2005) (voice) .... Victor Van Dort
... aka Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Singapore: English title) (USA: complete title)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) .... Willy Wonka
... aka Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) (VG) .... Willy Wonka

The Libertine (2004) .... Rochester

Finding Neverland (2004) .... Sir James Matthew Barrie
Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants (2004) .... L'inconnu
... aka ...And They Lived Happily Ever After (International: English title)

"King of the Hill"

    - Hank's Back (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Yogi Victor
Secret Window (2004) .... Mort Rainey

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Sands

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) .... Jack Sparrow

From Hell (2001) .... Inspector Frederick Abberline

Blow (2001) .... George Jung

Chocolat (2000) .... Roux

Before Night Falls (2000) .... Lt. Victor
... aka Antes que anochezca (USA: Spanish title)

The Man Who Cried (2000) .... Cesar
... aka The man who cried - Les larmes d'un homme (France)

Sleepy Hollow (1999) .... Constable Ichabod Crane
... aka Sleepy Hollow (Germany)

The Astronaut's Wife (1999) .... Commander Spencer Armacost

The Ninth Gate (1999) .... Dean Corso
... aka Neuvième porte, La (France)
... aka Novena puerta, La (Spain)

"Top Secret"
    - Scottland Yard (????) TV Episode .... Narrator
    - The Mossad (????) TV Episode .... Narrator

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) .... Raoul Duke

The Brave (1997) .... Raphael

Donnie Brasco (1997) .... Donnie Brasco/Joseph D. 'Joe' Pistone

Nick of Time (1995) .... Gene Watson

Dead Man (1995) .... William Blake
... aka Dead Man (Germany)
... aka Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man (USA)

Don Juan DeMarco (1995) .... Don Juan

Ed Wood (1994) .... Ed Wood

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) .... Gilbert Grape

Benny & Joon (1993) .... Sam

Arizona Dream (1993) .... Axel Blackmar
... aka Arizona Dream (France)
... aka The Arrowtooth Waltz

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (as Oprah Noodlemantra) .... Teen on TV
... aka A Nightmare on Elm Street 6

Edward Scissorhands (1990) .... Edward Scissorhands

"21 Jump Street" .... Officer Tom Hanson (1987-1989)
    - How I Saved the Senator (1990) TV Episode .... Officer Tom Hanson
    - Last Chance High (1990) TV Episode .... Officer Tom Hanson
    - La Bizca (1990) TV Episode .... Officer Tom Hanson
    - Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom (1990) TV Episode .... Officer Tom Hanson
    - Hi Mom (1990) TV Episode .... Officer Tom Hanson
      (26 more)

Cry-Baby (1990) .... Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker

"Hotel"
... aka Arthur Hailey's Hotel
    - Unfinished Business (1987) TV Episode .... Rob Cameron

Platoon (1986) .... Private Gator Lerner

Slow Burn (1986) (TV) .... Donnie Fleischer

"Lady Blue"
    - Beasts of Prey (1985) TV Episode .... Lionel Viland

Private Resort (1985) .... Jack

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) .... Glen Lantz

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/

that's 46 Movies/TV shows/Voice acting roles since 1984. 21 years! This guy is a prolific actor.

is it just me or does johnny depp look scarily like micheal jackson in that pic buy suzi. and in willy wonka.
my friend thinks so as well.
:S

lol....yeah when Johnny Depp played Willy Wonka...he looked like MJ. I agree with you there.

I didn't/don't see the similarity myself. Johnny, like Michael Jackson, is quite unique and they broke the mold after each of them were created (separately). I don't think Johnny has had ANY surgery whereas I don't think there is anything of the Original Michael Jackson left (on the outside at any rate). heheh

I agree with suzi .. I dont know what you girls (dara n music) are on about they look nothin alike when depp did wonka!    

My kids (29 and 21) went to see this movie on Friday. Daughter (29) has loved Johnny Depp since she saw him on 21 Jump Street. She owns many of his movies. She laughed so hard in this movie, she said, more than in the first one. She and my son thought this movie was great.

This looks hilarious!!!

I love Kate Hudson movies so I know I'll love this but so can't wait to get to the cinemas for this one!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/youmeanddupree/trailer_small.html

Another awesome movie out at the moment. I'm not that hooked but i'm sure it'd have its moments.  

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/mysuperexgirlfriend/medium.html

This today....

Does Pirates of the Caribbean deserve all this success?

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has had three terrific weeks at the Australian box office.

Last weekend, its takings reached $28.8 million. Even after a 48 per cent fall from the previous weekend, the action-comedy had a very healthy screen average of $7,600.

That means, in only 18 days, it has ...

* Overtaken the original Pirates of the Caribbean ($25.5 million).

* Overtaken The Da Vinci Code ($27 million) as the highest-grossing movie released this year.

* Blown away Superman Returns ($12.8 million in one more week).

Overseas, the movie has been performing spectacularly.

* In North America, it has grossed $US322 million ($425 million), which makes it the fastest movie to pass $US300 million. That mark took just 16 days. If it reaches $US400 million, which now seems possible, it would be the seventh highest-grossing movie in that market.

* Around the world, it has taken $US543 million ($717 million), which already puts it inside the top 40 all-time grossing movies with plenty of tickets still to sell.

Now that it's been widely seen - selling close to 3 million tickets here - it's time to ask whether the Pirates sequel deserves all this success.

Yes, it's a rip-roaring adventure. As Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp could do with more screen time but is still very appealling. The rolling wheel action sequence is great fun. The visual effects are spectacular. It feels like a cinema experience rather than something we should wait for on DVD.

But now that it's a runaway success, let's step back and compare it with, say, the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Shrek and Spider-Man movies.

Against those standards, the plot of the Pirates sequel is too complicated, it's too long at 150 minutes and director Gore Verbinski could have done more to make the young lovers, played by Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, more appealling this time round.

My least favourite feature is the ending. You might remember the outcry when Back to the Future Part II offered a weak ending that set up the third instalment? Viewers felt cheated.

There is a touch of that in the Pirates sequel, leaving us dangling for the third movie next May.

What the sequel's success shows are two things. Despite the competition from DVDs and piracy, we'll still go to cinemas for a good experience. And there is huge goodwill from the first Pirates. Now that was a great movie.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/box_office/005324.html

The people that I personally know who have seen it, absolutely loved it.

I found it boring, frankly. I went to see it with our entire year 8 grade, and nearly fell asleep. Number one was so much better, it was actually funny. Johnny Depp looked hot though. =P

Welcome xDeadlyxButt3rflyx, what a mouthful that name is! So Bathurst... how warm is it today? I come from around there originally (Cowra) and lived in Orange for two years. Where I am now is wet and humid. The Sunshine Coast Queensland is not living up to it's name! Welcome to our friendly boards where quite a few people are under eighteen as well as us older members. Cheers Suzi

Hey! Thanks! I have to say, this is an awsome site! I don't know exactly how warm it is today, but it's pretty cold! There's sun, but it's really bad weather! Especially when I have to go to school [not today, though, practicing for my Australia's Got Talent audition]. The last few days have been rainy, too. I wish i lived up in QLD! One word- BEACH! =P.

Hi Db! (your names too long )
So you are in yr 8? cool im in yr 10!
welcome
ps im in brisbane warm

Hey!
Yes, I'm in year 8! I'd love to be in year 10, you're lucky! We have to do Science, Mathematics and PE until year 11. I can't wait to drop them. I hate PE. It's so pointless for me. When am I ever going to need the skills to kick a ball when i want to be a singer?
It's freezing here! I have to wear a dressing gown over my clothes through the day at home, even when we have the heating on. It's horrible.

Quoted from xDeadlyxButt3rflyx

Hey!
Yes, I'm in year 8! I'd love to be in year 10, you're lucky! We have to do Science, Mathematics and PE until year 11. I can't wait to drop them. I hate PE. It's so pointless for me. When am I ever going to need the skills to kick a ball when i want to be a singer?
It's freezing here! I have to wear a dressing gown over my clothes through the day at home, even when we have the heating on. It's horrible.

Ohh cool! Nah trust me stay in year 8 it's way easier. I have to pick senior subjects now and I don't even know what I want to be! Oh wow sucked in we chose 2 subjects for yr 9, I picked drama and art.. and in year 10 we picked 8, I did web writers, programming, environmental studies, accelerated science 2 semesters, robotics, who wants to be a millionaire and law. Our year 11/12 subjects are boring though, well the ones that give you an OP are and I need an op to go to uni..
PS- We have to do maths for all of yr 8-12! I'm doind maths a year ahead at the moment but my dad wantsme to do maths c next year as well but I think too boring maths is dull...
pps- yea im glad i dropped pe , it was fun though, bludge!

oh that sounds really cold does it snow?