9 Notable Johnny Depp Movies and His Most Memorable Roles

Johnny Depp is a well-known Hollywood actor who has appeared in a wide variety of films over the course of his career. Some of his most notable movies include:

“Edward Scissorhands” (1990) – This is a fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. The movie stars Johnny Depp as Edward, an artificial man with scissors for hands, taken in by a suburban family after living alone in a dark, gothic castle. The film explores themes of love, acceptance, and being an outcast and how Edward’s unique appearance leads to difficulties fitting in with the community.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) – This is a fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski and is the first film in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series. The movie stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, a rogue pirate who teams up with a blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) and a governor’s daughter (Keira Knightley) to save her father and reclaim a stolen ship, The Black Pearl, from the cursed Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his crew.
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005) – This is a musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. The movie is based on the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl and stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, the eccentric chocolatier who invites a group of children to tour his candy factory. The film follows the adventures of Charlie Bucket, a poor boy who wins a Golden Ticket to tour the factory and discover the secrets of Wonka’s candy-making.
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007) – This is a musical horror-thriller film directed by Tim Burton. The movie is based on the 1979 musical of the same name by Stephen Sondheim. Johnny Depp stars as the title character, Sweeney Todd, a barber who seeks revenge against a judge who falsely imprisoned him, using his barbering skills to murder his customers. Helena Bonham Carter co-stars as Mrs. Lovett, a baker who assists Todd in disposing of the bodies.
“Public Enemies” (2009) – This is a crime drama film directed by Michael Mann. The movie is based on the true story of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the efforts of the FBI, led by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), to bring him to justice in the 1930s. The film explores the relationship between Dillinger and his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and the cat-and-mouse game between Dillinger and Purvis.
“Alice in Wonderland” (2010) – This is a fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton. The movie is based on the 1865 novel of the same name by Lewis Carroll. Johnny Depp stars as the Mad Hatter, a strange and eccentric character who helps Alice (Mia Wasikowska) on her journey through a fantastical version of Wonderland in search of the true identity of her true identity and her destiny.
“The Lone Ranger” (2013) – This is a western action film directed by Gore Verbinski. The movie retells the classic tale of the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) and his Native American partner Tonto (Johnny Depp). The film follows the two men as they team up to bring justice to the American West, fighting against greed and corruption.
“Black Mass” (2015) – This is a crime drama film directed by Scott Cooper. The movie is based on the true story of the criminal career of James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp), a notorious Boston mobster and leader of the Winter Hill Gang. The film follows Bulger’s rise to power in the 1970s and 1980s and his complicated relationship with FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), who helped him eliminate his rivals in the criminal underworld in exchange for information about the Italian mafia. The movie also depicts his brutal act and the impact of his crime on his family and community.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (2018) is a fantasy film directed by David Yates and is the second installment in the “Fantastic Beasts” series, which is a spin-off and prequel to the “Harry Potter” film series. The movie is based on a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books. The story takes place in 1927, several months after the events of the first film, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is recruited by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to help stop the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) from amassing an army of pure-blood wizards and enslaving all non-magical beings. Grindelwald escapes custody and has begun gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. Newt must form an unlikely alliance with his former Auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), and a No-Maj named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) to stop Grindelwald and his plans. The movie received mixed reviews from critics; some praised the film for its visual effects, the performances of the cast, and the expansion of the Wizarding World but also criticized the script and the rushed plot. The movie was also surrounded by controversies about the casting of Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. Due to some legal issues related to domestic violence allegations, this led to some calls for the role to be recast. It’s worth noting that while the Fantastic Beasts series takes place in the same universe as the Harry Potter series, it follows a different set of characters and storylines. As such, it can be enjoyed independently of the Harry Potter series.

It is important to note that a couple of these movies, Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Tonto in “The Lone Ranger” and his portrayal of Gellert Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” have been criticized by some viewers and critics as perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and people of color respectively. And it’s worth noting that the portrayal of James “Whitey” Bulger in “Black Mass” also shows the brutal act and crime he committed, which may not be suitable for everyone.

As an actor, Johnny Depp has starred in many other notable movies besides the ones I listed earlier. Some of his other well-known films include “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), “Blow” (2001), “Finding Neverland” (2004), “Corpse Bride” (2005), “The Secret Window” (2004), “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (2009), “Transcendence” (2014) and many more.

Johnny Depp has a varied filmography that includes different genres, from comedy, horror, fantasy, crime, adventure, musical, and so on. He’s well known for playing a diverse range of characters and for his ability to bring a unique and engaging performance to each role he plays.