Introduction
Johnny Depp is a well-known American actor and producer with a net worth of $150 million. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his unique acting style and ability to take on diverse roles. This article will explore Johnny Depp’s journey to success, his notable films, his personal life, and his financial situation.
Early Life
John Christopher Depp II was born on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky. He grew up with three older siblings and his family moved frequently before settling in Miramar, Florida. At the age of 12, Depp received a guitar as a gift from his mother, which sparked his interest in music. He dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a rock musician and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he formed a band called The Kids. However, the band disbanded soon after.
Career Beginnings
Depp’s first film role was in the 1984 horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” He then landed his breakthrough role in the Fox television series “21 Jump Street,” where he gained recognition in the industry. Depp’s talent and charisma shone through, and he was reportedly paid as much as $45,000 per episode for his work on the show.
Rise to Stardom
In 1990, Depp played the titular character in Tim Burton’s film “Edward Scissorhands,” which became a critical and commercial success. This role marked the beginning of Depp’s long-standing collaboration with Tim Burton, and it established him as a leading actor in Hollywood. Throughout the 1990s, Depp starred in several notable films such as “Benny and Joon” (1993), “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993), “Don Juan DeMarco” (1995), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), and “Chocolat” (2000).
Depp’s most iconic role came in 2003 when he portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” His over-the-top and captivating performance turned the film into a hugely successful franchise. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal and earned an Oscar nomination. Depp continued to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise’s sequels, further solidifying his status as a Hollywood superstar.
Other Ventures
Aside from his acting career, Depp established his production company called Infinitum Nihil in 2004. He has also pursued his passion for music and formed the group Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry in 2015. Depp released albums with the band and showcased his musical talents.
Dior Payday
In 2015, Depp collaborated with Dior to launch the brand’s new fragrance called Sauvage. He appeared in various print and television ads for the fragrance. In August 2022, Depp reportedly signed a multi-year endorsement contract extension with Dior, solidifying his successful partnership with the brand.
Personal Life
Depp married Lori Allison in 1983, and they divorced in 1985. Subsequently, he was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey and Sherilyn Fenn in the 1980s. In 1990, he proposed to his “Edward Scissorhands” co-star Winona Ryder. He dated model Kate Moss from 1994 to 1998, and began a relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis in 1998. The pair met while Depp was shooting his film “The Ninth Gate” in France, and have two children together.
After separating from Paradis in 2012, Depp began a relationship with actress Amber Heard, whom he met the previous year on the set of “The Rum Diary” (2011). They married in February 2015, but Heard filed for divorce in May 2016, alleging that Depp had been “verbally and physically abusive,” allegations Depp’s lawyers denied. They finalized the divorce in January 2017, with Depp paying Heard a settlement of $7 million.
Amber Heard received a $7 million settlement from Depp when the divorce was finalized. Amber then vowed to donate the settlement to charity, specifically to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the ACLU.
In January 2021, Johnny claimed that Amber had been lying about donating the money to charity. Depp’s lawyers apparently reached out to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the ACLU to find out how much they had actually received from Heard. According to the Daily Mail, the ACLU refused to turn over the numbers but the Children’s Hospital reported to have only received $100,000, which would be around $3.4 million shy of her allegedly promised donation. The hospital reportedly even reached out to Heard to ask “if the pledge will not be fulfilled”.
In 2018 Johnny Depp filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom against News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun which referred to him as a “wife beater” in an April 2018 article. The lawsuit went to trial in 2020. Both Heard and Depp testified for several days. In November 2020 a judge ruled that 12 of the 14 incidents of violence that Heard reportedly claimed to have incurred were “substantially true.” Depp lost an appeal in March 2021.
In 2019 Johnny sued Amber Heard for defamation in Virginia. He sought a settlement of $50 million as a direct response to an op-ed Amber Heard had written for The Washington Post in December 2018 that detailed the alleged abuse she suffered. Although Heard never mentioned Depp by name, he felt that she was heavily implying that he was to blame for various acts of violence – despite earlier, joint statements from the couple stating that “there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm” from either partner.
In addition, Depp claimed that he was actually the victim of domestic abuse as a result of Heard’s behavior, which according to him included punching, kicking, thrown objects, and even defecation. Depp’s legal team published evidence of his allegations, and Heard’s attempts to have the case dismissed were denied.
Heard counter-sued in August 2020. The trial for this defamation case commenced on April 11, 2022 in Fairfax County, Virginia.
On June 1, 2022 the jury in Virginia awarded Johnny $15 million in defamation damages. That was soon reduced to $10.35 million with Virginia’s cap on punitive damages. At the same time the jury awarded Amber $2 million worth of damages. These damages may be appealed.
Financial Situation
For the majority of his career, Depp’s finances were managed by a company called The Management Group. In 2017, he filed a lawsuit accusing them of “gross mismanagement and, at times, outright fraud.” Depp alleged that the firm caused him to lose tens of millions of dollars, racked up more than $40 million in debt without his knowledge, failed to file his property taxes on time, made unauthorized loans, and overpaid for security and other services, amongst other charges.
At his peak, Depp reportedly spent $3.6 million per year to maintain a 40-person full-time staff, $30,000 per month on wine, $150,000 per month on bodyguards, and $200,000 per month on private jet travel. He also reportedly spent $75 million to purchase more than 14 homes around the world including a 45 acre chateau in France, a horse farm in Kentucky, and several islands in the Bahamas. If he were to sell his entire real estate portfolio, it would easily be worth $100 million. He owns several yachts, more than 45 cars, 12 storage facilities worth of memorabilia, and an art collection that includes works by artists such as Andy Warhol. Depp also reportedly once spent $5 million to have the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson fired from a cannon off a 153-foot tower.
Depp is still one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors. He commands $20 million upfront per movie, plus 20% of the backend. That deal has resulted in more than $300 million earned off the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alone. He also made $55 million in backend earnings off “Alice in Wonderland.”
Notable Salaries and Earnings
While starring on “21 Jump Street”, Johnny earned a salary of $45,000 per episode. His major film salaries began in the mid-1990s. For example in 1995 he earned $5 million for “Nick of Time”. He earned another $5 million in 1997 for “Donnie Brasco”.
For his first appearance as “Jack Sparrow” in 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”, Johnny earned $10 million. His base salary for the second “Pirates” installment was $20 million. With backend points her earned an additional $40 million for a total of $60 million. He earned a combined $55 million from the third “Pirates” movie.
In 2010, Johnny took a low base salary and high backend points for “Alice In Wonderland”. This resulted in a $55 million payday when the movie earned $1 billion worldwide. That currently stands as one of the 20 largest acting paychecks for a single movie.
He earned $15 million for “Rum Diary”, $7.5 million for “Rango”, $18 million for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and $20 million for “The Tourist”.
In 2020 Johnny was paid $16 million to appear in the third installment of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise. His contract required studio Warner Brothers pay him regardless of any circumstances. So when they ended up firing him in the wake of the Amber Heard lawsuit, Johnny still earned his $16 million without having to lift a finger.
Real Estate and Houses
Hollywood Hills: Johnny Depp’s primary home in Los Angeles is actually made up of five contiguous lots that span 2.75 acres. The primary mansion is a little over 7,000 square feet and features 8 bedrooms/10 bathrooms. Collectively among all the houses on the estate, there are believed to be 35-40 bedrooms.
LA Penthouses: Johnny previously owned five side-by-side penthouse apartments in downtown Los Angeles’ “Eastern Columbia” building. Acquired between 2007 and 2008 for a total of $7.2 million, he sold these penthouses all at once in 2017 for $10.9 million after listing them for a combined $12.8 million a year earlier. The property features special mural painted by Tim Burton. While the collection is technically five separate units, Depp reportedly treated each as different rooms in a home, connecting three of the five separate apartments used for entertaining space with doorways. Depp used the other two units of his property as a guest suite and an art studio. Packed full of an Art Deco layout, each unit comes with vibrantly textured walls, with a unique mesh of furnishings that truly show the owner’s character. One of the most breathtaking parts of the property, suggested listing agent Kevin Dees of Partners Trust, is the collection of magnificent views of the city offered from each of the five separate units.
Kentucky: In his native Kentucky, Johnny owns a 41 acre horse ranch in Lexington. Acquired in 1995 for $950,000 and then sold in 2001 for $1 million, Johnny actually re-purchased the property in 2005 million for $2 million as a gift for his mother. She lived there until her death in 2016. Johnny sold the property in 2020 for $1.35 million.
Côte d’Azur: Located roughly 17 miles from Saint-Tropez in a town called Plan De La Tour, Johnny and his then-partner Vanessa Paradis bought the 37-acre estate in 2001 for an undisclosed amount. They proceeded to spend a reported $10 million renovating the grounds and structures, some of which were well over 200 years old. The estate is comprised of dozens of structures including an entire 19th century small village. The main house spans 4,300 square feet and features five bedrooms/3.5 bathrooms.
Among the main house, several guest cottages and staff house, the property offers 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, over 10,763-square-feet of living space. The spaces include a grotto with vaulted ceilings, which houses a daybed draped in sumptuous fabrics, bedrooms with canopy beds, and loads of fireplaces throughout the property. Can’t let those European nights drive a chill through the bones!
Of course, the estate was designed to appreciate outdoor beauty and recreation. There is also a full-length swimming pool, with a dining pavilion and cabana created with stone flooring and heavy beam canopies; a vineyard; numerous gardens, orchards and walking paths perpetually scented with the best perennials in season.
In 2015 Depp listed this property for sale for a little over $25 million. In February 2021 he quietly re-listed the property for $55 million.
Paris: In Paris Johnny owns a property in a suburb called Meudon. It is believed that Vanessa received this property upon their separation.
Bahamas: Johnny owns a 45-acre, mostly undeveloped, private island in the Bahamas. The island does have a 3,500 square-foot home surrounded by six pristine white sand beaches, and palm trees lining a lagoon. Depp’s 156-foot, steam-powered yacht, Vajoliroja, is docked in a private harbor at the island. The island home is reported to be eco friendly, running on solar-hydrogen power, and was built using sustainable architecture and green building techniques.