Six Degrees from Johnny Depp

Six Degrees from Johnny Depp by Roxanne McDonald

I’m shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I’ve done everything I can to avoid it.~Johnny Depp

Watching “The Next Best Thing,” I was taken by how many Johnny Depp impersonators there have been—but how they only impersonate him as Captain Jack.

There is so much more to this actor, so much more in the way of roles that I think better showcase his talents.

Then again, there is also more to the man. I recently read an online newsletter that runs daily “Did you know…” trivia, and included a did you know that Johnny is co-owner of the Viper Room? I smirked: who wouldn’t know that? And thought back to when I first learned it—when Johnny was so devastated when River Phoenix died on the Viper Room premises.

But just being a fan does not automatically ensure a full knowledge base of the trivia of the star’s life. (Hell, I am still learning more about Nic Cage.) And in Johnny Depp’s case, learning of the details, of the choices he has made, for instance, one can speculate even further. For example, think of all the revolutionary changes and effects on the worlds of several others had Depp decided to take the parts he turned down: Where would Brangelina be, or would they even be…had he not turned down Mr. and Mrs. Smith?

And where would we be had he not taken on the roles that have made him a household heartthrob?

Here are a few more pieces of info, then, as I have culled them from around the web (at IMDB, Depp Online, Wiki; in Gina Vivanetto’s New York Times piece; and elsewhere):

Accolades/Awards

All the little films I’ve done that were perceived by Hollywood as these obscure, weird things, I always thought could appeal to a larger audience. I mean, box office is such a mystery to me that I can’t… you know… I have enough -trouble doing my own gig. ~Johnny Depp

Has been nominated for twenty-seven awards—twice for Academy Awards; twice for BAFTAs; twice for BFCAs; once for British Individual Film Awards; once for the Cannes Golden Palm; once for the Chlotrudis Awards; twice for Empire Awards; seven for the Golden Globes; thrice for Golden Satellite Awards; once for Irish Film and TV Awards; twice for MTV Movie Awards; once for Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Awards; once each for People’s Choice and Teen Choice Awards and twice for Kids’ Choice Awards; twice for SAG Awards; and four times for Saturn Awards

2003- Became the only actor with an Oscar nomination for Lead Actor in a Disney film

Has won over sixteen awards—from a Blockbuster Entertainment Award, a Golden Aries Award, an Actor of the Year Award from the Hollywood Film Festival, a Sag Award, a Showest Male Star of Tomorrow Honorarium, an Irish Film and TV Award, a London Critics Circle Film Award, and an honorary Gary Cooper Spirit of Montana Award to two Teen Choice, two People’s Choice, and three MTV Awards

1995- #1 on Empire magazine’s “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History” list
1995- Voted Sexiest Male Movie Star of All Time by Empire magazine
1996- Named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1996]
1997- #67 on Empire magazine’s “The Top-100 Movie Stars of All Time” list
1999 [November] - Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2001- Named one of E!’s Top 20 Entertainers of the Year
2001 Again named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine
Voted the Second Greatest Actor Channel 4 [UK] Greatest Actor Poll
1990- His Edward Scissorhands [Edward Scissorhands] #22 on Premiere Magazine’s “100 Greatest Performances of All Time” list
2006- His Captain Jack Sparrow [Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl] #79 on Premiere Magazine’s “100 Greatest Performances of All Time” list
2006- His Captain Jack Sparrow also ranked #87 and his Edward Scissorhands ranked #65 on Premiere Magazine’s “100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time” list
2005/06- Ranked #23 and #18, respectively, on Premiere’s 2006 “Power 50″ list
Ranked #2 on E!’s “25 Sexiest Entertainers” list
2003- Named Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine
2003-Named E!’s Entertainer of the Year.
Ranked #5 on “100 Hottest Hotties” list at Vh1
2005- Ranked #4 on “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols” by TV Guide
2006 Voted one of the 10 Best Hollywood Signers by Autograph Collector Magazine
Wesley Willis, a schizophrenic Chicago busker, wrote a song in his honor
Has been called “the jester of cinema” and “the Method clown”
Has been likened by fans to Skeet Ulrich, and subsequently introduced by Chris Rock [at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards] as “the rich man’s Skeet Ulrich”

Rumors and Ramblings About…

This is a rumor-filled society and if people want to sit around and talk about whom I’ve dated, then I’d say they have a lot of spare time and should consider other topics… or masturbation. ~Johnny Depp

Was allergic to chocolate as a kid
Owns a “customized” 1960 650cc Triumph Bonneville
Has two silver teeth.
Plays a mean guitar (dropped out of school at 16 to pursue music career), and has done so for The Kids (band he was in at 16); Oasis [slide guitar on “Fade In-Out” and for "Fade Away (Warchild Version)"]; for Chocolat [as Roux playing acoustic]; for Once Upon a Time in Mexico (playing the theme he wrote, “Sands’ Theme”); for close friend Shane MacGowan [on The Snake ?]; and for P [with Gibby Haynes and Flea].
Has appeared in several music videos—including those of Shane MacGowan and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Co-owned the Viper Room (which is housed in a building once owned by Bugsy Siegel) until 2004 (in 1993 with Chuck E. Weiss, first), when he signed his share over to his missing partner’s daughter, Amanda Fox; and now co-owns Man-Ray, a Parisian restaurant and bar he shares with Mick Hucknall, John Malkovich, and Sean Penn

Has more than eleven tattoos—among them “Betty Sue”, “Lily Rose”, “Jack” under a sparrow over water, “Wino Forever” (truncated from “Winona Forever”), the head of an Indian chief in profile, a symbol from The Braves, the number 3, and a skull and crossbones with a “Death is Certain” caption

Rescue-adopted Goldeneye, the “one-eyed Andalusian horse” who played Ichabod Crane’s steed in Sleepy Hollow

Spends part of his time in Los Angeles (in a home once owned by Bela Lugosi), part in France, and part on his 45-acre island in the Bahamas

Marlon Brando advised him on the latter purchase

His favorite TV show of all time is/was “The Fast Show,” a British comedy he would watch on DVD/tape when he was on tour

His favorite pastime is watching cartoons with his kids

His favorite Johnny Depp characters are Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissorhands

Associations/Actions

I don’t pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do. ~Johnny Depp
Has dated and/or been linked with Lori Anne Allison (married for 2 years); Sherilyn Fenn; Winona Ryder; Jennifer Grey; Kate Moss; and now lives with Vanessa Paradis and their two children [Lily and Jack]

He learned French so he could better communicate with Vanessa’s parents

Once, when he disliked his pic and the caption with it on a “21 Jump Street” billboard, Depp painted over it; when a security guard came by to stop him, the guard actually backed off and allowed him to proceed when he saw it was Depp’s face Depp was defacing

Has been arrested a number of times—including for a late-night “altercation” with security in a Vancouver, B.C. hotel; for trashing a room at the Mark Hopkins in NYC; and for an altercation with the paparazzi outside a London restaurant

Turned down parts for the roles of Officer Jack Traven in Speed; Jack Dawson in Titanic; Brian McCaffrey in Backdraft; Johnathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula; Will Grimm in The Brothers Grimm; Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider; Bruce Banner in The Hulk; Tristan Ludlow in Legends of the Fall; Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events; Jason Stone in Mars Attacks!; Neo in The Matrix; John Smith in Mr. and Mrs. Smith; J.D. in Thelma and Louise; and several others

Has portrayed seven “real-life” characters– Inspector Fred Abberline; J.M. Barrie; Joseph Pistone/Donnie Brasco; George Jung; Lt. Victor/Pon Pon; Hunter S. Thompson; and Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Reportedly, Depp based his Ichabod Crane [Sleepy Hollow] on Richard E. Grant’s Withnail [Withnail and I ]

Reportedly determined his Edward D. Wood Jr. as a “cross between Ronald Reagan, and the Tin Man” with the voice of Casey Kasem

Reportedly based his Captain Jack Sparrow on The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards.

As Private Gator Lerner in Platoon, wore a helmet that he marked all over with then girlfriend’s name, Sherilyn Fenn

Though he wanted to get some of his teeth gold-capped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and felt producers would not okay it, he went ahead with the idea—getting “lots more capped than he wanted.” Disney head Michael Eisner liked the capping idea (for a few caps) but had Depp get rid of the surplus

Once he finished nine-day shoots Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), since he didn’t want to leave, he offered to play the bit part of the priest…using his Marlon Brando impression

Is a fan of the Rolling Stones, Deadsy, and fan to and friends with Taraf de Haidouks; is good friends with Tim Burton, John Frusciante, Marilyn Manson, Noel Gallagher, Christina Ricci, and Tom Baker; and was friends with and an admirer of both Marlon Brando and Hunter S. Thompson (the latter for whom he carried out wishes that he [Thompson] have his ashes be shot out of a cannon

Has a profound fascination with Jack the Ripper

Celebrity Spider Johnny Depp links

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