Johnny Depp he returns to take back his rightful place in Hollywood, one with a crown on his head, to understand each other, and a scepter in his hand. Not in a figurative sense, this time: he will play Louis XV in the costume film Jeanne du Barry, which takes its name from the courtesan who in the 18th century won the favors of the sovereign and which in this case is interpreted by the director Maiwenn. The film, incidentally, opens the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
The latest projects
After three years of winning the trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, finally the star can return with his head held high among his colleagues super star, with no longer any shadow of abuse hovering over his head.
In the last period he has toured the world for various festivals and walked the stage with his band Hollywood Vampires, but also produced a denunciation film, The Minamata caseand wore a colonel’s uniform in Waiting for the Barbarians.
Farewell to the world of Harry Potter
The legal scandal that saw him involved cost him the role of Gellert Grindelwald, in the prequel saga of Fantastic beasts and where to find them. The project was initially supposed to cover five films, but the third – without Depp, replaced by Mads Mikkelsen – may have sunk the franchise. During the problems in court, Walt Disney also seemed to want to distance himself from his Captain Sparrow in the saga of the Pirates of the Caribbeanbut given the actor’s prodigious return to the scene, there may be a second thought.
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The love life
At 59, the star does not lose a gram of his own legendary sex symbol fame, fueled by famous lovestories, from Kate Moss to Winona Ryder (after two years of marriage to makeup artist Lori Ann Allison). From the relationship with the French singer Vanessa Paradis he has two children, Lily Rose (24 on May 27) and Jack (21 on April 9). Marriage to Amber Heard, met on the set of The Rum Diary, becomes a horror movie script with allegations of domestic violence and defamation. Currently the actor professes to be single, after breaking up from flirting with the former lawyer.
The beginnings
Johnny Depp’s first and greatest love remains music, discovered thanks to his grandfather and carried forward thanks to his uncle. Thanks to Nicolas Cage’s intuition he is facing the cinema but success comes only with 21 Jump Street. After leaving the series, he becomes friends with Tim Burton who sews on him some of the most iconic roles of his career, from Edward scissor hands to The Mystery of Sleepy Hollow.
The blockbusters
Popular notoriety becomes stellar with the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the saga of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Meanwhile she plays unforgettable characters in Sweeney Todd And alice in wonderland, also by Tim Barton. He has always staged literary classics such as The Chocolate Factory and has known how to reinterpret with very different directors from Oliver Stone to Terry Gilliam. He has embraced a commercial soul to then devote himself to the indie themes that are close to his heart.
The excesses
His life has often been studded with excesses and abuses, which have fueled the fame of the bad guy. Before entering rehab, for example, said he spends about $30,000 a month on wine. Alcohol and drug abuse remained a constant in her life, as the trial against Heard has remarked. The actor admitted that he has a self-destructive attitude and to romanticize the use of drugs, from ecstasy to cocaine.
The return
We must recognize his consistency: Depp has never hidden behind fairy tales invented by his public relations staff and has paid dearly for the consequences of his actions. Today he seems to have made peace with his demons, with accusations and even with the idolatry of the public, which has sustained him in these difficult times. He doesn’t pretend to be a virtuous example for anyone, he just tries to get back to doing his job well.
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