Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About Johnny Depp
Today is Johnny Depp's birthday, y'all! In honor of the fascinating, handsome, quirky actor and Kentucky native, here are 10 things you probably don't know about Johnny Depp!
1. On June 9, 1963, John Christopher Depp II was born in Owensboro, the youngest of four children. His mother, Betty, was a waitress and his father was a civil engineer.
2. He dropped out of high school at 16. When he tried to return to school two weeks later, his principal advised him to follow his dreams of becoming a musician.
“Awards are not as important to me as when I meet a 10-year-old kid who says, “I love Captain Jack Sparrow.””
3. In 2012, the Guinness Book of World Records named Johnny the Highest Paid Actor in the World.
“I`m an old-fashioned guy . . . I want to be an old man with a beer belly sitting on a porch, looking at a lake or something.”
4. Johnny lived in Frankfort from the ages of 3 to 10, where his mother worked at the Holiday Inn.
5. Depp has been married twice, briefly to makeup artist Lori Anne Allison, and, since earlier this year, to actress Amber Heard. He had a 14 year relationship with Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his children Lily-Rose and Jack. Over the years, he was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Moss, Jennifer Grey, and Winona Ryder.
“The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.”
6. He once co-owned a Parisian bar and restaurant, along with Sean Penn and John Malkovich. Located in a former cinema, the bar was named for avant-garde artist Man Ray.
Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Johnny Depp
7. In the early 1990s, Depp was co-owner of the famous Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room. Johnny Cash's 1993 solo performance at the Viper Room is credited with introducing Cash's music to a new generation.
8. Johnny Depp famously plays his Pirates of the Caribbean character Captain Jack Sparrow as "a mix of Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew." When asked about the Pirates franchise, he once said "I only wanted to be in a movie that my kids could see."
“Hunter decided that since we were both brothers from “the dark and bloody ground,” as Kentucky is known, there were several fish to fry in Louisville. We were going back there to clear his name—they were going to celebrate him, and his mother was going to be there, and she would be proud. He said he wanted to make me a Kentucky Colonel—which almost anyone can be. There’s a society of Kentucky Colonels. Hunter was one and he made me one. You don’t need to do anything—you just write in and ask for it, and they give it to you. From then on, he always referred to me as the Colonel.”
Colonel Depp and Dr Thompson
9. Johnny is a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. His close friend, Louisville native Hunter S. Thompson, nominated him for the honor and frequently called him "Colonel Depp." Johny Depp starred in two films based on Dr Thompson's works, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary.
10. He was once in a band called P along with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. The band's eponymous studio album included a cover of Abba's Dancing Queen.
Happy birthday, Johnny!!