Johnny Depp and "his demons": The scandals that put his career in check
Johnny Depp rose to stardom for his portrayal of eccentric characters as the protagonist of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' but also had to face his demons, such as his idol Marlon Brando.
The 57-year-old actor's libel lawsuit against the British tabloid The Sun has exposed his lavish and tumultuous lifestyle.
The court hearings led to lengthy debates about his alcohol and drug use and his relationship with actress Amber Heard.
To clear his reputation in front of the newspaper, which described him as a violent husband, the actor launched a lawsuit that could damage his image after 35 years of career, with an impressive filmography but in which he did not win an Oscar.
Johnny Depp was born on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, a state in the central United States, and began in music before acting.
He began his career with 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' ('Nightmare on Elm Street' in Spain and Peru - 1984), by Wes Craven. His popularity skyrocketed with his police character on the television series '21 Jump Street '.
In 1990 he played 'Edward Scissorhands' ('The Young Scissorhands' in Latin America), a man with scissors instead of hands who brings magic to a small town.
His sense of fantasy also served him to play the creator of Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie, in "Neverland" ('Discovering Neverland' - 2004), which earned him an Oscar nomination.
He also played his hero, the journalist and heavy drug user, Hunter S. Thompson in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" ('Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' in Spain, 'Panic and Madness in Las Vegas' in Latin America - 1998). It was on the set of 'The Rum Diary' ('Diary of a Seducer'), in 2011, where he met Amber Heard.
Depp is a versatile actor who also played darker roles, such as the undercover detective 'Donnie Brasco' (1997) or a drug dealer in 'Blow' (2001).
14 years with Vanessa Paradis
The blockbuster 'Pirates of the Caribbean', in which he plays Jack Sparrow, a sea lion fond of rum, gave him great notoriety.
Johnny Depp was nominated three times for an Oscar, including for his role in 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' (2007), but he never took the statuette.
The actor frequently returned to music and collaborated with Oasis, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, the guitarist for Aerosmith.
Before the British court, he explained that his former manager left him without 650 million dollars that he had accumulated since the second and third parts of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.
Yet he is used to a lavish life and one day he said he was spending $ 30,000 a month on wine.
In his personal life Depp dated various celebrities, such as British model Kate Moss.
In the 1990s, when he was dating American actress Winona Ryder, he got a tattoo that read "Winona forever" and that after the breakup he transformed into "Wino forever" ("Alcoholic forever".
For 14 years he was with the French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he had a daughter and a son. They broke up in 2012.
He then married Amber Heard in 2015, a tumultuous union that ended in 2016. They divorced in 2017.
The actress spoke of her excesses and accused her of violence during the trial hearings in London. However, Johnny Depp denied any type of violence although he acknowledged that he was taking drugs.
Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis always supported him. The French singer described him in trial testimony as "a kind, caring, generous and non-violent man and father."
Depp was going to reprise the role of the evil Gellert Grindelwad in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' next year, from the same universe as Harry Potter.
But Amber Heard's accusations against him put his involvement in the film into question.
