Since breaking out in Hollywood in the ’80s, Johnny Depp has cemented himself as one of the most iconic character actors in the business, who isn’t shy of taking eccentric roles. But before earning the status of a revered character actor, who went on to earn three Oscar nods for Best Actor, Depp’s initial shot to fame was a result of his stint in 21 Jumps Street.
But while the show did prove to be his first major break, Depp wasn’t too fond of the fame that came with it, and it wasn’t until his first Tim Burton collaboration that things started to shift for the better.
Being a Heartthrob Wasn’t Johnny Depp’s Cup of Tea
Although the role of Tom Hanson in 21 Jump Street made Johnny Depp a major heartthrob, the Pirates of the Caribbean star wasn’t too fond of the fame that came with it. John Waters, who joined forces with Depp for Cry-Baby, which was his first attempt to stray away from the heartthrob status, recalled the actor couldn’t leave his home as a result of the fame.
Moreover, Waters further revealed that “hundreds of girls would be running and falling backward and crying”, and they even tried to buy the Pirates star’s sewage water underneath his trailer.
Johnny Depp was at the height of his career on 21 Jump Street, he was on the cover of every teen magazine, he was Justin Bieber… and he hated it! So I always said to him, ‘Why do you hate it? That’s the point, to get so famous that you can never leave the house!’ And he couldn’t then. He could not go out. When we were shooting the movie outside, hundreds of girls would be running and falling backward and crying. They tried to buy his sewage underneath his trailer from the Teamsters!
Fortunately for Depp, it wouldn’t take him too long to escape the heartthrob status after joining forces with Waters and then later Tim Burton.
Johnny Depp’s First Tim Burton Collaboration Helped Him Escape the Heartthrob Status
Throughout their illustrious run in showbiz, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have collaborated on several occasions, which contributed to some of their best works over the years. But their first collab sparked from Depp’s desire to break his heartthrob image, which initially pushed him to star in John Waters’ Cry-Baby.
However, it was Edward Scissorhands that helped the Pirates star finally move away from his 21 Jump Street image, which kickstarted the iconic working bond between Depp and Burton.
He wanted to change all that by making fun of it, in a good way. And I think he did make the right decision. We did help him change that. Then Tim Burton came in and everything changed.
Following in the footsteps of Edward Scissorhands, Depp went on to star in many eccentric roles and once was in the forefront to play Patrick Bateman in the adaptation of American Psycho. While that didn’t pan out, he’d soon land the role of Jack Sparrow, which made him one of the biggest stars in the realm of Hollywood.
Edward Scissorhands is available to stream on Disney Plus.
