In honor of the new film "Dark Shadows" I have put together a list of the best Johnny Depp performances since his film debut in 1984. It was difficult to choose from some of the best films of my generation but you have to give credit where credit's due. Enjoy!
Honorary mention. Glenn from "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
This movie was the acting debut of Depp. His performance as the preppy boyfriend of Heather Langenkamp's Nancy is something that made every female swoon. Although Depp has gone for more complex and darker film roles, this is where it all began, as an innocent Ohio teen who gets sucked into a bed that spits out his blood. One of the best kill scenes in all horror movie history, Wes Craven knew what he was doing and made Depp famous even before "21 Jump Street."
5. Sweeney Todd from "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Depp's complex role as a secret serial killer was raw and introduced us all to his vocal talents. Based on a British penny dreadful, a fictional publication serial, and later the Broadway play of the same name. This role should have been a clear antagonist, from the brutality of his kills. But somehow the writing, and the acting skills of Depp, turn the character of Sweeney Todd into an understandable and relatable character.
4. The Madhatter from "Alice in Wonderland"
Once again, Depp master's the role of a seemingly insane character. By bringing a backstory that was never present in the cartoon version of 1951, he provides empathy to a character that ordinarily has been tossed aside as crazy. Leave it to Depp to provide such a versatile character in an otherwise limited role.
3. Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series
This is the ultimate role of Depp's career. It put him back in the spotlight in 2003, after a string of smaller and less successful films. Since then there have been four films, with a fifth announced for the near future. It is Depp's swaggering, Keith Richards impression that keeps the audience the coming back for more. It is almost unnecessary to describe his character with almost $4 billion in revenue from the movies alone. It seems everyone has seen a "Pirate" movie, making Sparrow one of the most well-known characters of all time.
2. Gilbert Grape from "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"
I know this whole list is biased towards myself, but I have a particular interest in this film. I used to watch it every time it was on TV when I was younger. It is a role that earned Depp deserved critical praise, but unlike a lot of the films on this list, it was a simpler character. Grape is a young man struggling with insecurites in a small town. His younger brother (played by the incredible Leonardo DiCaprio) is mentally disabled and has to care for him, being that he is his only male role model. His mother is overtly obese and does not leave the house because of it. Depp's performance as a man torn between family and the normal uncertainties of societal questions is flawless. It is a gritty, relatable performance that he knocked out of the park.
1. Edward Scissorhands from "Edward Scissorhands"
A film that takes societal pressures and portrays them in such a fantastical way culminates in this breathtaking 1990 film. Depp takes the innocence and sheltered being of Edward to a whole other level. Loyalty and confidence emerges from Edward as he gets to know his new adoptive family. Depp's facial expressions and physical demeanor create a gentle protagonist. But as the cookie-cutter community turns on him for being different, he becomes an easy target to deflect their pent-up insecurities. This role may be one of the most tragic on the list, but it also shows an example of the social segregation between those we deem "normal" and those we don't. This was the first Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaboration, leading to one of the most famous partnerships in film history. But with the critical praise and the devote fan base, no wonder they have teamed up seven more times so far.
