Johnny Depp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johnny Depp

Depp at the 2009 premiere of his film Public Enemies in Paris

Born

John Christopher Depp II June 9, 1963 (age 50) Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.

Occupation

Actor, screenwriter, director, producer, musician

Years active

1984present

Religion

None

Spouse(s)

Lori Anne Allison (m. 198385)

Partner(s)

Vanessa Paradis (19982012) Amber Heard (2012-present; engaged)

Children

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John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, film producer, and musician. He has won theGolden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp is often regarded as a method actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol. Dissatisfied with that status, Depp turned to film for more challenging roles and larger than life characters; he played the title character of the acclaimed Edward Scissorhands(1990) and later found box office success in films such as Sleepy Hollow (1999), Pirates of the Caribbean film series (2003present), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and the film Rango (2011). He has collaborated with director and friend Tim Burton in eight films. Depp has gained worldwide acclaim for his portrayals of such people as Ed Wood in Ed Wood, Joseph D. Pistone in Donnie Brasco, Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, George Jung in Blow, Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland and the Depression Era outlaw John Dillinger in Michael Mann's Public Enemies. Films featuring Depp have grossed over $3.1 billion at the United States box office and over $7.6 billion worldwide.[1] His commercially most successful films have been the Pirates of the Caribbean films which grossed $3 billion, Alice in Wonderlandwhich grossed $1 billion, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which grossed $474 million and The Tourist which grossed $278 million worldwide.[2][3][4] Depp has been nominated for top awards many times, including three nominations for Academy Award for Best Actor.[5] Depp won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He also has garnered a sex symbol status in American cinema, being twice named as the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine in 2003 and 2009.[6] He has been listed in the 2012 Guinness World Records as the highest paid actor, with $75 million.[7]
Contents
[hide]

1 Early life

o o

1.1 1960s1970s 1.2 1980s

2 Acting career o o o o 2.1 Television roles 2.2 Early Roles 2.3 1994-2002 2.4 2003-Present 2.4.1 Future roles 2.4.2 Collaborations with Tim Burton

3 Production company 4 Other interests o o o 4.1 Music 4.2 Winemaker and restaurateur 4.3 Editing

5 Personal life o o o o 5.1 Family and relationships 5.2 Legal issues 5.3 Religion 5.4 Tattoos

6 Controversy o o 6.1 Comments on U.S. 6.2 Claims of Native American ancestry and Comanche adoption

7 Awards, nominations and recognitions 8 Filmography 9 References 10 External links

Early life
1960s1970s
Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963,[8][9] as the youngest of four children of Betty Sue Palmer (ne Wells), a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer.[10][11] Depp moved frequently during his childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in Miramar[12] Florida, in 1970. In 1978, when he was 15, Depp's parents divorced.[12][13] His mother married, as her second husband, Robert Palmer (died 2000), whom Depp has called "an inspiration to me".[14]

1980s

With the gift of a guitar from his mother when he was 12, Depp began playing in various garage bands.[12] A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician.[12] He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician.[12] He played with The Kids, a band that enjoyed modest local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method, but the group split up before signing a record deal. Depp subsequently collaborated with the band Rock City Angels[15] and co-wrote their song "Mary", which appeared on Rock City Angels' debut for Geffen Records titled Young Man's Blues.[16] On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bass player and singer. During Depp's marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist, while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a telemarketer for pens. His wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career.[12] Depp and his wife divorced in 1985. Both Depp and his subsequent fianc Sherilyn Fenn auditioned for the 1986 film Thrashin' and they were both cast, with Depp being chosen by the film's director to star as the lead, which would have been Depp's second major role. Depp was later turned down by the film's producer, who rejected the director's decision.[17][18]

Acting career
Television roles

Depp at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival

Depp starred in a lead role on the Fox television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987.[12] Depp accepted this role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Depp's longtime friend Sal Jenco joined the cast as a semi-co-star as the janitor named Blowfish. The series' success turned Depp into a popular teen idol during the late 1980s.[12] Despite this success, Depp felt "forced into the role of product."[19] Depp subsequently decided to appear only in films that he felt were right for him.[19] Depp and his co-stars, Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson, briefly reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' 2012 feature film adaptation, which featured a much more comedic tone than the series.[20]

Early Roles

Depp's first major role was in the 1984 classic horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, playing the boyfriend of the heroine, Nancy Thompson (played by Heather Langenkamp) and one of Freddy Krueger's victims.[12] Depp was the first choice and was cast to star in the 1986 American skater drama film Thrashin', chosen and cast by the director but ultimately rejected by the film's producer.[17][18]In 1986, he appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's Platoon. Depp's first release in 1990 wasCry-Baby, although the film did not achieve high audience number in it's initial release but over the years it gained a cult classic status. Depp's next release that year saw him undertake the quirky title role of the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands, the film turned out to be critically and commercially successful thus establishing Depp as leading Hollywood actor.[21] The film's success began his long association with Burton. In 1993, Depp continued getting critical and commercial acclaim, his first release that year was Benny & Joon, the film was a sleeper hit. That same he year starred in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a film about a dysfunctional family alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Depp's performance in the film was well received, Todd McCarthy of Variety stated "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization."[22] Depp final release that year was Arizona Dream, a surrealist comedy-drama, the film opened to positive reviews.[23]

1994-2002
In 1994, Depp collaborated with Tim Burton with the comedy-drama biopic Ed Wood, which saw Depp portray Edward D. Wood Jr. who is often regarded as the World's Worst Film Director. The film gained immense critical acclaim, Janet Maslin from The New York Times stated Johnny Depp "proved himself as an established "certified great actor". Depp captures all the can-do optimism that kept Ed Wood going, thanks to an extremely funny ability to look at the silver lining of any cloud."[24] Depp was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance. In 1995 Depp starred in three films, his first release was Don Juan DeMarcoopposite Marlon Brando. Depp plays a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. The film was a box-office hit. Next he appeared in theWestern Dead Man, the film was shot entirely in black-and-white. The film did poor business and gained mixed critical reviews. Depp then appeared in the financially and critically failure Nick of Time where plays an accountant who is forced into a situation where he is told to kill a politician to save his kidnapped daughter.[25] In 1997, Depp starred alongside with Al Pacino in the crime drama Donnie Brasco directed by Mike Newell. Depp portrayed Joseph D. Pistone, an undercover FBI Agent and takes up the pseudo name 'Donnie Brasco' in order to infiltrate the Mob. In order to research his role more thoroughly Depp spent time hanging out with the real-life Joe Pistone. The film opened to immense financial and critical success, and is considered one of Depp's finest performance.[26] Depp, a fan and long-time friend of writer Hunter S. Thompson, played a version of Thompson (named Raoul Duke) in 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, based on the writer's pseudobiographical novel of the same name. Depp accompanied Thompson as his road manager on one of the author's last book tours.[27] In 2006, Depp contributed a foreword to Gonzo: Photographs by Hunter S. Thompson, a posthumous biography published by ammobooks.com. In 2008, he narrated the documentary film Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Depp paid for most of Thompson's memorial event, complete with fireworks and the shooting of Thompson's ashes by a cannon, in Aspen, Colorado, where Thompson lived.[28] He returned to Thompson's work with a film adaptation of the novel The Rum Diary, released in 2011.[29]

2003-Present
Critics have described Depp's roles as characters who are "iconic loners."[30] Depp has noted this period of his career was full of "studio defined failures" and films that were "box office poison,"[31] but he thought the studios never understood the films and did not do a good job of marketing.[30] Depp has chosen roles which he found interesting, rather than those he thought would succeed at the box office.[30]

Depp wearing a mustache andgoatee similar to the style used inPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The 2003 Walt Disney Pictures film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a major success,[30] in which Depp's performance as the suave but shambling pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was highly praised. Studio bosses were more ambivalent at first,[32] but the character became popular with the movie-going public.[30] According to a survey taken by Fandango, Depp was a major draw for audiences.[33] The film's director, Gore Verbinski, has said that Depp's character closely resembles the actor's personality, but Depp said he modeled the character after The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.[34] Depp was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.[35] In 2004, he was again nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as Scottish author J. M. Barrie in the filmFinding Neverland. Depp next starred as Willy Wonka in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a major success at the box office and earning him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.[34][36] Depp reprised the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), andOn Stranger Tides (2011), which were each also major box office successes.[37] Depp has said that Sparrow is "definitely a big part of me,"[38] and he even voiced the character in the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow.[39] His swashbuckling sword talents, as developed for the character of Sparrow, were highlighted in the documentary film Reclaiming the Blade. Within the film, swordmaster Bob Anderson shared his experiences working with Depp on the choreography for The Curse of the Black Pearl. Anderson described Depp's ability as an actor to pick up the sword to be "about as good as you can get."[40] Depp and Gore Verbinski were executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's film adaptation of the musical, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his "unwavering trust and support."[41] Depp played the former Heath Ledger character in the 2009 film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell. All three actors gave their salaries from the film to Ledger's daughter, Matilda.[42] He portrayed the Mad Hatter in Burton's Alice in Wonderland,[43] and the protagonist of Rango.[44] In 2007, Depp accepted Warner Bros.' proposal to make a film of the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, a series that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971. He had been a fan as a child. Depp and Graham King produced the movie with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Productions inc.

until Curtis died in 2006.[45] Depp starred as Tonto in 2013's The Lone Ranger, opposite Armie Hammer as the title character.[46]

Future roles
Depp will film a documentary about Keith Richards. Depp will star in and produce an adaptation of the comic book Rex Mundi.[47][dead link][48] Depp will collaborate withPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall again to create a remake of The Thin Man.[49] Depp plans to star as Carl Kolchak in the project Night Stalker,[50] and has bought rights to the comic book The Vault.[51] Depp will star in the film adaptation of the musical, Into the Woods.[52][53][54] His role in the film was originally uncertain because Variety reported that he would play the Baker while The Hollywood Reporter said he would portray the Wolf.[52][53] On May 10, 2013, a casting notice released by Disney confirmed that Depp will play the Wolf.[55] The film began shooting in September 2013[56] and will be released on Christmas Day 2014.[57] He will also make a cameo appearance in London Fields.[58] Depp will reprise the role of the Mad Hatter in the sequel to Alice in Wonderland, which is scheduled for a May 2016 release.[59][60] Depp stated in a BBC radio interview on July 29, 2013 that he hopes to be involved with "quieter things" at some point in the near future, implying that he will retire from acting. Depp explained in further detail during the interview: "I wouldn't say I'm dropping out any second, but I would say it's probably not too far away. When you add up the amount of dialogue that you say per year and you realise that you've said written words more than you've had a chance to say your own words, you start thinking about that as an insane option for a human being."[61] Depp has signed on to play convicted Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger in director Scott Cooper's Black Mass.[62]

Collaborations with Tim Burton

Depp has collaborated with director and close friend Tim Burton in films, beginning with Edward Scissorhands (1990), opposite Winona Ryder and Vincent Price. His next role with Burton was in the 1994 film Ed Wood.[12] Depp later said that "within 10 minutes of hearing about the project, I was committed."[63] At the time, the actor was depressed about films and filmmaking. This part gave him a "chance to stretch out and have some fun"; he said working with Martin Landau "rejuvenated my love for acting".[63]Producer Scott Rudin once said "Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies,"[64] although Burton personally disapproved of the comment. Depp, however, agrees with Rudin's statement. According to Depp, Edward Scissorhands represented Burton's inability to communicate as a teenager. Ed Wood reflected Burton's relationship with Vincent Price (very similar to Edward D. Wood, Jr. and Bela Lugosi).[65]

Depp's Hollywood Walk of Famestar received on November 19, 1999

Depp's next venture with Burton was the role of Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow (1999), opposite Christina Ricci. Sleepy Hollowreflected Burton's battle with the Hollywood studio system.[66] For his performance, Depp took inspiration from Angela Lansbury,Roddy McDowall and Basil Rathbone.[64] Depp stated, "I always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl."[67] Depp did not work with Burton again until 2005 in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which he played Willy Wonka. The film was a box office success and received positive critical reception.[68][69] Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, initially criticized this version.[70] Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was released in July, followed by Corpse Bride, for which Depp voiced the character Victor Van Dort, in September.[71] Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) followed, bringing Depp his second major award win, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy as well as his third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Burton first gave him an original cast recording of the 1979 stage musical in 2000. Although not a fan of the musical genre, Depp grew to like the tale's treatment. He cited Peter Lorre in Mad Love (1935) as his main influence for the role, and practiced the songs his character would perform while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[72] Although he had performed in musical groups, Depp was initially unsure that he would be able to sustain Stephen Sondheim's lyrics. Depp recorded demos and worked with Bruce Witkin to shape his vocals without a qualified voice coach. In the DVD Reviews section, Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty gave the film an A minus, stating, "Depp's soaring voice makes you wonder what other tricks he's been hiding... Watching Depp's barber wield his razors... it's hard not to be reminded of Edward Scissorhands frantically shaping hedges into animal topiaries 18 years ago... and all of the twisted beauty we would've missed out on had [Burton and Depp] never met."[73] In his introduction to Burton on Burton, a book of interviews with the director, Depp called Burton "...a brother, a friend,...and [a] brave soul".[74] The next DeppBurton collaboration was Alice in Wonderland (2010). Depp played the Mad Hatter alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Alan Rickman. In 2012, he starred in the Burton-directed Dark Shadows, a film based on the 19661971 gothic soap opera of the same name, alongside fellow Tim Burton regular Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green.[75]

Production company
In 2004, Depp formed his production company Infinitum Nihil to develop projects where he will serve as actor and/or producer. Depp is the founder and CEO, while his sister, Christi Dembrowski, serves as president.[76] The company's first production came in 2011 with The Rum Diary, adapted from the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. The film is written and directed by Bruce Robinson. Also in 2011, Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese, was released.[77] Dark Shadows, directed by Tim Burton, was released in 2012.[78]

Other interests
Music
As a guitar player, Depp has played slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997), as well as on "Fade Away (Warchild Version)" (b-side of the "Don't Go Away" single). He also played acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat and on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He is a friend of The Pogues' Shane MacGowan, and performed on MacGowan's first solo album. He was also a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes, Red Hot Chili Peppersbassist Flea and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. He has appeared in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' music video "Into the Great Wide Open" and The Lemonheads "It's a Shame About Ray" music video. He made a cameo as the Mad Hatter in the music video for Avril Lavigne's "Alice" in 2010. He performed lead guitar and drums for a cover ofCarly Simon's "You're So Vain",

which appeared as a bonus track on some editions of Marilyn Manson's 2012 album Born Villain.,[79][80] also performing live with Marilyn Manson in the Revolver Golden Gods Awards 2012, performing various songs of Marilyn Manson.[81] He also appeared in the music video of "My Valentine" from the albumKisses on the Bottom by Paul McCartney released in February 2012, along with Natalie Portman.[82] Depp traded licks with Joe Perry on "The Brooklyn Shuffle," a song from Steve Hunter and "The Manhattan Blues Project," which was scheduled for release on April 30, 2013.[83]

Winemaker and restaurateur

Depp and Paradis grew grapes and had wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-laTour north of Saint-Tropez.[84] Along with Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall, Depp coowned the French restaurant-bar Man Ray, located near the Champs-lyses.[85]

Editing
In July 2012, Depp announced he would be co-editor, alongside Douglas Brinkley, of folk singer Woody Guthrie's unpublished novel House of Earth.[86] The book was published in 2013.[87]

Personal life
Family and relationships

Depp at Penlope Cruz's ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2011

Depp was married to Lori Anne Allison from 1983 to 1985. He was later successively engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey andSherilyn Fenn in the late 1980s before proposing in 1990 to his Edward Scissorhands co-star Winona Ryder, for whom he tattooed "WINONA FOREVER" on his right arm.[88] In 1998, following a four-year relationship with British supermodel Kate Moss, Depp began a relationship with Vanessa Paradis, a French actress and singer whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate.[89] After months of media speculation, Depp and Paradis announced their separation in June 2012.[90] Depp has been dating actress and model Amber Heardsince 2012 after the pair met on the set of the film The Rum Diary.[91][92][93][94] The couple became engaged on Christmas Eve in 2013.[95][96] Depp has two children with Paradis: daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 1999), and son John "Jack" Christopher Depp III (born 2002).[97] In 2007, Depp's daughter recovered from a serious

illness, an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down and resulted in an extended hospital stay.[98] To thank Great Ormond Street Hospital, Depp visited the hospital in November 2007, dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit, and spent four hours reading stories to the children. In 2008 he donated 1 million (about $2 million) to the hospital.[99] Although Depp has not remarried, he has stated that having children has given him "real foundation, a real strong place to stand in life, in work, in everything."[38] "You can't plan the kind of deep love that results in children. Fatherhood was not a conscious decision. It was part of the wonderful ride I was on. It was destiny. All the math finally worked." Depp acquired a vineyard estate in the Plan-dela-Tour area in 2007.[100] Several reports indicated Depp bought Burnham Westgate Hall in Norfolk, England, a 13-bedroom Georgian country house, in June 2011.[101][102]

Legal issues
Depp was arrested in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with Paradis.[103] In 2012, Depp was sued alongside three security firms by disabled UC Irvine medical professor Robin Eckert, who claimed to have been attacked by his bodyguards at a concert in Los Angeles in 2011. Eckert suffered injuries including a dislocated elbow in the attack, during which she was allegedly hand-cuffed and dragged 40 feet across the floor.[104] She argued in court that as the security guards' direct manager, Depp failed to intervene, even though he did not actively take part in the battery.[105] In October 2012, it was decided that Eckert could seek compensation and punitive damages from Depp, with a trial date set for August 12, 2013.[104]

Religion
On October 16, 2011 episode of Larry King Live, when asked by Larry King if he had faith, Depp replied, "Yes. I have faith in my kids. And I haveI have faith, you know, that as long as you keep moving forward, just keep walking forward, things will be all right, I suppose, you know. Faith in terms of religion, I don'treligion is not my specialty, you know."[106]

Tattoos
Depp has around 13 tattoos, many of them signifying important persons or events in his life. They include a Native American in profile and a ribbon reading "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever", altered after his breakup with Winona Ryder) on his right biceps, "Lily-Rose" (his daughter's name) over his heart, "Betty Sue" (his mother's name) on his left biceps, and a sparrow flying over water with the word "Jack" (his son's name; the sparrow is flying towards him rather than away from him as it is inPirates of the Caribbean) on his right forearm.[107]

Controversy

Depp at a ceremony for Jerry Bruckheimer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2013

Comments on U.S.
In 2003, Depp told Germany's Stern magazine, "America is dumb, is something like a dumb puppy that has big teeththat can bite and hurt you, aggressive."[108] Although he later asserted that the magazine misquoted him and the quotation was taken out of context,Stern stood by its story, as did CNN.com in its coverage of the interview. CNN added his remark that he would like his children "to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out."[109] The July 17, 2006 edition ofNewsweek reprinted the "dumb puppy" quotation, verbatim, in the context of a Letter to the Magazine. Depp has also disagreed with subsequent media reports that perceived him as a "European wannabe", saying that he likes the anonymity of living in France and his simpler life there.[108] In 2011, Depp became a U.S. resident again, because France wanted him to become a permanent resident, which he said would require him to pay income tax in both countries.[110]

Claims of Native American ancestry and Comanche adoption

In a 2002 interview, Depp stated that he believed he has Native American ancestry;[111] in 2011, he specified, "I guess I have some Native American [in me] somewhere down the line. My greatgrandmother was quite a bit of Native American, she grew up Cherokeeor maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek."[112] He has also stated that he "apparently" has Native American ancestry, and that "There are so many different things you're told [growing up] in Kentucky" [about his heritage].[113] His Native ancestry came under question when Indian Country Today Media Network stated that Depp has never inquired about his heritage nor does the Cherokee Nationrecognize him as a member.[114] Depp was adopted as an honorary son by LaDonna Harris, a member of the Comanche Nation, on May 22, 2012, making him an honorary member of Harris' family, but not an enrolled member of the Nation.[115] Harris, president of Americans for Indian Opportunity, invited him to join her family after hearing he would be portraying the role of Tontoas a Comanche in the 2013 feature film The Lone Ranger. The ceremony took place at Harris home; Comanche Nation Tribal Administrator Johnny Wauqua was in attendance. Depp was presented with gifts by the family, which he then presented to the attendees, as per tradition.[115] In 2013, Indian Country Today Media Networkquestioned whether "Tonto's Giant Nuts" (credited in the 2003 movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico), the name of Johnny Depp's band, was a wise choice given the actor's role as Tonto.[116] Critical response from the Native community also included satirical portrayals of Depp by leading Native comedians.[117][118][119]

Controversy arose over both the adoption and Depp's portrayal of a Native American character,[115] as Depp was not raised in, nor has confirmable ancestry from, a Native American community, though he has said he 'guesses' he may have some distant Cherokee or Creek ancestry.[112]

Edward Scissorhands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1990 film. For the 2005 dance theatre work, see Edward Scissorhands (dance).

Edward Scissorhands

Theatrical release poster

Directed by

Tim Burton

Produced by

Tim Burton Denise Di Novi

Screenplay by

Caroline Thompson

Story by

Tim Burton Caroline Thompson

Starring

Johnny Depp Winona Ryder Dianne Wiest Anthony Michael Hall Kathy Baker Vincent Price Alan Arkin

Music by

Danny Elfman

Cinematography

Stefan Czapsky

Editing by

Colleen and Richard Halsey

Distributed by

20th Century Fox

Release dates

December 7, 1990

Running time

105 minutes

Country

United States

Language

English

Budget

$20 million

Box office

$86,024,005

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 American romantic dark fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by asuburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim. Supporting roles are portrayed by Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, and Alan Arkin. Burton conceived the idea for Edward Scissorhands from his childhood upbringing in suburban Burbank, California. During pre-production of Beetlejuice, Caroline Thompson was hired to adapt Burton's story into a screenplay, and the film began development at 20th Century Fox, after Warner Bros. passed on the project. Edward Scissorhands was then fast tracked after Burton's

success with Batman. Before Depp's casting, the leading role of Edward had been connected to Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Robert Downey, Jr., and William Hurt, while the role of The Inventor was written specifically for Vincent Price, and was ultimately his final performance on film. The majority of filming took place in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida between March and June 1990.[1] Edward's scissor hands were created and designed by Stan Winston. The film is also the fourth feature collaboration between Burton and film scorecomposer Danny Elfman. Edward Scissorhands was released with positive feedback from critics, and was a financial success. The film received numerous nominations at the Academy Awards, British Academy Film Awards, Saturn Awards, as well as winning the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Both Burton and Elfman consider Edward Scissorhands their most personal and favorite work.
Contents
[hide]

1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production o o o o 3.1 Development 3.2 Casting 3.3 Filming 3.4 Music

4 Themes 5 Release o o o o 5.1 Box office 5.2 Critical reception 5.3 Accolades 5.4 Legacy

6 Stage adaptations 7 References 8 External links

Plot[edit]
One evening, an elderly woman tells her granddaughter a bedtime story of where snow comes from, by telling her the story of a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who has scissors for hands. Edward is the man-made creation of an old Inventor(Vincent Price). The Inventor's final result was a human-like young boy who had everything except for hands. The Inventor suffered a heart attack and died while in the act of giving a pair of real hands to Edward, leaving him "unfinished" forever. Many years after Edward was created, local Avon saleswoman Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) visits the decrepit Gothic mansion on the hill where Edward lives. There, she finds Edward alone. Upon realizing he is virtually harmless, she decides to take him to her home. Edward becomes friends with

Peg's young son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) and her husband Bill (Alan Arkin). He later falls in love with the Boggs' beautiful teenage daughter Kim (Winona Ryder), despite her initial fear of him. Peg's neighbors are impressed by Edward's adept hedge-trimming and hair-cutting skills (both of which he does with his scissor-hands), but two of the townspeople, a religious fanatic named Esmeralda (O-Lan Jones) and Kim's boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), are not impressed. Joyce, one of the housewives in the neighborhood (Kathy Baker), an aging seductress, suggests that Edward open a hair-cutting salon with her. While examining a proposed site, she attempts to seduce him in the back room, causing Edward to leave in a state of panic. Wanting money for a van, Jim takes advantage of Edward's ability to pick locks, and uses this as an attempt to break into his parents' house. The burglar alarm sounds and everyone except Edward flees, despite Kim's angry insistence that they return for him. Edward is arrested and released when a psychological examination reveals that his isolation allowed him to live without a sense of reality and common sense. Meanwhile, infuriated by Edward's rejection, Joyce exacts revenge by claiming that he tried to "rape" her. This, added to the "break-in", causes many of the neighbors to question his personality and ruin his popular reputation. During the Christmas season, Edward is feared and cast out by almost everyone around him except the Boggs family, resulting in the family becoming outcasts as well. While the family is setting up Christmas decorations, Edward creates an angel ice sculpture. The shavings create an effect of falling snow, which Kim dances under. Jim calls out to Kim, distracting her, and Edward accidentally cuts her hand. Jim says that Edward had intentionally harmed her and attacks him. Edward runs away, tearing off the clothes Peg gave him and wanders the neighborhood in a rage. Kim, fed up with Jim's behavior towards Edward, breaks up with him and he goes to his friend's van to get drunk. While Peg and Bill search for Edward, he returns and Kim greets him with a hug. When Kevin is almost run over by Jim's drunk friend, Edward pushes him out of the way, but cuts his arm, causing witnesses to think he was attacking him. When the police arrive, Edward flees to his hilltop mansion and the vengeful neighbors follow. Kim runs to the mansion and reunites with Edward. Jim follows her, attacks Edward, then brutally assaults Kim. Edward stabs Jim in the stomach and pushes him out a window to his death. Kim confesses her love for Edward and shares a kiss with him as they say goodbye. Returning downstairs, Kim lies to the townspeople saying that Edward and Jim fought each other to the death. She tells them that the roof caved in on them and shows them a disembodied scissor-hand similar to that of Edward's. The neighbors return home, with Joyce having a guilty look on her face and feeling responsible for Edward's death and for being the one who framed him in the eyes of the whole neighborhood. The elderly woman (who is actually revealed to be Kim in her old age) finishes telling her granddaughter the story, saying that she never saw Edward again. She chose not to visit him because she wanted him to remember her the way she was in her youth. She also mentions that Edward is still alive, seemingly immortal since he is artificial and can never age, and he "creates snow" from his ice sculptures which falls upon the neighborhood below, which has never had snow before. She tells her granddaughter that "Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in it." While Edward creates more ice sculptures, a flashback of a young Kim is shown dancing under the snow falling from the angel ice sculpture above her.

Cast[edit]

Johnny Depp - Edward Scissorhands Winona Ryder - Kim Boggs Dianne Wiest - Peg Boggs

Alan Arkin - Bill Boggs Anthony Michael Hall - Jim Kathy Baker - Joyce Vincent Price - The Inventor Robert Oliveri - Kevin Boggs Conchata Ferrell - Helen Caroline Aaron - Marge Dick Anthony Williams - Officer Allen O-Lan Jones - Esmeralda

Production[edit]
Development[edit]
The genesis of Edward Scissorhands came from a drawing by then-teenaged director Tim Burton, which reflected his feelings of isolation and being unable to communicate to people around him in suburban Burbank. Burton stated that he was often alone and had trouble retaining friendships. "I get the feeling people just got this urge to want to leave me alone for some reason, I don't know exactly why". During pre-production of Beetlejuice, Burton hired Caroline Thompson, then a young novelist, to write the Edward Scissorhands screenplay as a spec script. Burton was impressed with her short novel, First Born, which was "about an abortion that came back to life". Burton felt First Born had the same psychological elements he wanted to showcase in Edward Scissorhands.[2] "Every detail was so important to Tim because it was so personal", Thompson remarked.[3] She wrote Scissorhands as a "love poem" to Burton, calling him "the most articulate person I know, but couldn't put a single sentence together".[4] Shortly after Thompson's hiring, Burton began to develop Edward Scissorhands at Warner Bros., with whom he worked on Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice. However, within a couple of months, Warner sold the film rights to 20th Century Fox.[5] Fox agreed to finance Thompson's screenplay while giving Burton complete creative control. At the time, the budget was projected to be around $89 million.[6] When writing the storyline, Burton and Thompson were influenced by Universal Horror films, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Frankenstein (1931), and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), as well as King Kong(1933) and various fairy tales. Burton originally wanted to make Scissorhands as a musical, feeling "it seemed big and operatic to me", but later dropped the idea.[7] Following the enormous success of Batman, Burton arrived to the status of being an A-list director. He had the opportunity to do any film he wanted, but rather than fast track Warner Bros.' choices for Batman Returns[2] or Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, Burton opted to make Edward Scissorhands for Fox.[8]

Casting[edit]
Although Winona Ryder was the first cast member attached to the script,[7] Dianne Wiest was the first to sign on. "Dianne, in particular, was wonderful," Burton said. "She was the first actress to read the script, supported it completely and, because she is so respected, once she had given it her stamp of approval, others soon got interested."[9] When it came to casting the lead role of Edward, Fox was insistent on having Burton meet with Tom Cruise. "He certainly wasn't my ideal, but I talked to him," Burton remembered. "He was interesting, but I think it worked out for the best. A lot of questions came up."[9] Cruise wanted the ending to be "happier".[10] Michael Jacksonthen lobbied hard for the part, but was unsuccessful.[11] Tom Hanks turned it down in favor of The Bonfire of the Vanities. William Hurt and Robert Downey, Jr. both expressed interest, and were considered.[6][7]

Though Burton was unfamiliar with Johnny Depp's then popular performance in 21 Jump Street, he had always been Burton's first choice.[9] At the time of his casting, Depp was wanting to break out of the teen idol status which his performance in 21 Jump Street had afforded him. When he was sent the script, Depp "wept like a newborn" and immediately found personal and emotional connections with the story.[12] In preparation for the role, Depp watched many Charlie Chaplin films to study the idea of creating sympathy without dialogue.[13] Fox studio executives were so worried about Edward's image, that they tried to keep pictures of Depp in full costume under wraps until release of the film.[14] Burton approached Ryder for the role of Kim Boggs based on their positive working experience in Beetlejuice.[9] Drew Barrymore previously auditioned for the role.[15] Crispin Glover auditioned for the role of Jim before Anthony Michael Hall was cast.[6] Kathy Baker saw her part of Joyce, the neighbor who tries to seduce Edward, as a perfect chance to break into comedy.[7] Alan Arkin says when he first read the script, he was "a bit baffled. Nothing really made sense to me until I saw the sets. Burton's visual imagination is extraordinary."[7] The role of The Inventor was written specifically forVincent Price, and would ultimately be his final feature film role. Burton commonly watched Price's films as a child, and, after completing Vincent, the two became good friends. Robert Oliveri was cast as Kevin, Kim's younger brother.[16]

Filming[edit]
Burbank, California was considered as a possible location for the suburban neighborhoods, but Burton believed the city had become too altered since his childhood[9] so theTampa Bay Area of Florida, including the town of Lutz and the Southgate Shopping Center of Lakeland was chosen for a three-month shooting schedule.[3] The production crew found, in the words of the production designer Bo Welch, "a kind of generic, plain-wrap suburb, which we made even more characterless by painting all the houses in faded pastels, and reducing the window sizes to make it look a little more paranoid."[17] The key element to unify the look of the neighborhood was Welch's decision to repaint each of the houses in one of four colors, which he described as "sea-foam green, dirty flesh, butter, and dirty blue".[18] The facade of the Gothic mansion was built just outside of Dade City. Filming Edward Scissorhands created hundreds of (temporary) jobs and injected over $4 million into the Tampa Bay economy.[19] Production then moved to a Fox Studios sound stage in Century City, California, where interiors of the mansion were filmed.[17] To create Edward's scissor hands, Burton employed Stan Winston, who would later design Penguin's prosthetic makeup in Batman Returns.[20] Depp's wardrobe andprosthetic makeup took one hour and 45 minutes to apply.[21] The giant hedge sculptures that Edward creates in the film were made by wrapping metal skeletons in chicken wire, then weaving in thousands of small plastic plant sprigs.[22] Rick Heinrichs worked as one of the art directors.

Music[edit]
Edward Scissorhands is the fourth feature film collaboration between director Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman. The orchestra consisted of 79 musicians.[23] Elfman cites Scissorhands as epitomizing his most personal and favorite work. In addition to Elfman's music, three Tom Jones songs also appear: "It's Not Unusual", "Delilah" and "With These Hands". "It's Not Unusual" would later be used in Mars Attacks! (1996), another film of Burton's with music composed by Elfman.[24]

Themes[edit]
Burton acknowledged that the main themes of Edward Scissorhands deal with self-discovery and isolation. Edward is found living alone in the attic of a Gothic castle, a setting that is also used for main characters in Burton's Batman and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Edward Scissorhands climaxes much like James Whale'sFrankenstein and Burton's own Frankenweenie. A mob confronts the "evil creature", in this case, Edward, at his castle. With Edward unable to consummate his love for Kim because of his appearance, the film can also be seen as being

influenced by Beauty and the Beast. Edward Scissorhands is a fairy tale book-ended by a prologue and an epilogue featuring Kim Boggs as an old woman telling her granddaughter the story,[20] augmenting the German Expressionism and Gothic fiction archetypes.[25] Burton explained that his depiction of suburbia is "not a bad place. It's a weird place. I tried to walk the fine line of making it funny and strange without it being judgmental. It's a place where there's a lot of integrity."[18] Kim leaves her jock boyfriend (Jim) to be with Edward, an event that many have postulated as Burton's revenge against jocks he encountered as a teenager. Jim is subsequently killed, a scene that shocked a number of observers who felt the whole tone of the film had been radically altered. Burton referred to this scene as a "high school fantasy".[20]

Release[edit]
Box office[edit]
Test screenings for the film were encouraging for 20th Century Fox. Joe Roth, then president of the company, considered marketing Edward Scissorhands on the scale of "an E.T.-sized blockbuster," but Roth decided not to aggressively promote the film in that direction. "We have to let it find its place. We want to be careful not to hype the movie out of the universe," he reasoned.[26] Edward Scissorhands had its limited release in the United States on December 7, 1990. The wide release came on December 14, and the film earned $6,325,249 in its opening weekend in 1,372 theaters. Edward Scissorhands eventually grossed $56,362,352 in North America, and a further $29,661,653 outside North America, coming to a worldwide total of $86.02 million. With a budget of $20 million, the film was declared to be a box office success.[27] The New York Timeswrote "the chemistry between Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, who were both together in real life at the time (19891993), gave the film teen idol potential, drawing younger audiences."[21]

Critical reception[edit]
Edward Scissorhands received critical acclaim from film critics. Based on 53 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of the reviewers enjoyed the film, with an average score of 7.6/10.[28] By comparison, Metacritic collected an average score of 74/100, based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29] Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave a largely positive review, "Burton invests awe-inspiring ingenuity into the process of reinventing something very small," she wrote. "In the case ofEdward Scissorhands is a tale of misunderstood gentleness and stifled creativity, of civilization's power to corrupt innocence, of a heedless beauty and a kindhearted beast. The film, if scratched with something much less sharp than Edward's fingers, reveals proudly adolescent lessons for us all."[30] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post found contemporary homages to The Elephant Man, Brothers Grimm stories and The Ugly Duckling.[31] Peter Travers, writing inRolling Stone magazine, felt that "Edward Scissorhands isn't perfect. It's something better: pure magic."[32] However, both Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel gave the film a negative review. Ebert stated that "Burton has not yet found the storytelling and character-building strength to go along with his pictorial flair. The ending is so lame it's disheartening. Surely anyone clever enough to dream up Edward Scissorhands should be swift enough to think of a payoff that involves our imagination."[33]

Accolades[edit]
Stan Winston and Ve Neill were nominated the Academy Award for Best Makeup, but lost to John Caglione, Jr. for his work on Dick Tracy.[34] Production designer Bo Welchwon the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design, while costume designer Colleen Atwood, and Winston and Neil also received nominations at the British Academy Film Awards. In addition, Winston was nominated for his visual effects work.[35] Depp was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, but lost to Grard Depardieu of Green Card.[36] Edward Scissorhands was able

to win the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation[37] and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film. Danny Elfman, Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, and Atwood received individual nominations.[38] Elfman was also given a Grammy Award nomination.[8]

Legacy[edit]
Burton cites Edward Scissorhands as epitomizing his most personal work.[8] The film is also Burton's first collaboration with actor Johnny Depp and cinematographer Stefan Czapsky. In October 2008, the Hallmark Channel purchased the television rights.[39] Metalcore band Motionless in White have a song entitled "Scissorhands (The Last Snow)" with its lyrics written about the film in homage to its legacy and impact on the gothic subculture.[40] Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad named a mini-album Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did after a line spoken in the final scene of the film. In the Bob's Burgers episode "Full Bars", Louise Belcher dresses up as Edward Scissorhands for Halloween. Johnny Depp reprises his role of Edward Scissorhands in the Family Guy episode "Lois Comes Out of Her Shell".[41] In a cutaway scene, it is shown that a couple had hired Edward Scissorhands to tuck their baby in bed. He leaves with the child and re-enters telling the couple that their baby is dead. An extinct lobster-like sea creature, Kootenichela deppi, is named after Depp because of its scissorlike claws.[42][43]