Johnny Depp
Born: June 9, 1963
Where: Owensboro, Kentucky
Rare among American actors, Depp has made a name for himself effortlessly switching between mainstream movies and left-of-centre projects.
Highlights of a richly diverse career include Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Pirates of the Caribbean - for which Depp's camp rogue earned him a 2004 Oscar nomination.
After a failed career as a teenage rock star (he played in almost 20 bands and once opened for Iggy Pop), he turned his hand to acting.
He was briefly married to makeup artist Lori Allison and she introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who arranged an interview with his agent.
That meeting resulted in Depp's feature film debut in Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street, after which he had his first screen lead, in Private Resort.
Depp achieved teen idol status in the TV series 21 Jump Street, but after four seasons, he wanted out, with the hope of making the transition to the big screen.
He starred in Tim Burton's contemporary fairy story Edward Scissorhands, and stayed with Burton in the tribute-come-spoof of Hollywood's B-movies, Ed Wood.
Roles followed in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Astronaut's Wife before Depp reteamed with Burton again to make the gothic thriller Sleepy Hollow.
In 2000, he starred in Chocolat and From Hell, and then as marijuana maestro George Jung in Blow. Depp then went on to land his most celebrated role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.
High profile romances have included Kate Moss and Winona Ryder, (he had his Winona Forever tattoo replaced with Wino Forever).
He now lives with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, and their two children, in France.
In 2004, he essayed a blocked writer in the thriller Secret Window and was Oscar-nominated for his portrayal of children's writer JM Barrie in Finding Neverland.
The following year he played the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
In 2007, he returned as Captain Jack Sparrow in the third and final instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street saw him reteam with Burton to star as the murderous hairdresser of London lore.
