Depp began his career as a musician performing in several amateur rock bands before transitioning into film. He made his feature film debut in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street and appeared in Platoon , before rising to prominence as a teen idol on the television series 21 Jump Street β He also portrayed Hunter S.
In , Depp received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry. In the early s, he appeared in the romance Chocolat , crime film Blow , action film Once Upon a Time in Mexico , drama Finding Neverland , and horror films From Hell and Secret Window Depp gained worldwide stardom for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series , starting with The Curse of the Black Pearl , and reprised the role in four sequels β He has also lent his voice to numerous animated series in addition to the animated film Rango Outside acting, Depp has produced films through his company Infinitum Nihil , which he founded in He was named People's Sexiest Man Alive twice, in and in Depp's mother gave him a guitar when he was 12, and he began playing in various bands.
He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. After modest local success in Florida, the band moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing its name to Six Gun Method. In addition to the band, Depp worked a variety of odd jobs, such as in telemarketing. In December , Depp married makeup artist Lori Anne Allison, [ 7 ] the sister of his band's bassist and singer.
The Kids split up before signing a record deal in , and Depp began collaborating with the band Rock City Angels. In interviews in and , Depp claimed to have Native American ancestry, "I guess I have some Native American somewhere down the line. My great-grandmother was quite a bit of Native American.
She grew up Cherokee or maybe Creek Indian. Makes sense in terms of coming from Kentucky, which is rife with Cherokee and Creek Indian. Depp's claims came under scrutiny when Indian Country Today wrote that Depp had never inquired about his heritage or been recognized as a member of the Cherokee Nation. Depp moved to Los Angeles with his band when he was Although Depp said he "didn't have any desire to be an actor", he continued to be cast in films, [ 35 ] making enough to cover some bills that his musical career left unpaid.
