Johnny Depp has been one of the most recognizable big screen icons since the mid-eighties, but where did he grow up?
Johnny Depp was born in Kentucky, in the United States. His family travelled around on a dramatic scale, relocating almost two dozen times as Depp grew up. They eventually settled in Florida when Depp was seven years of age.
Read on to learn more about this iconic actor’s early life and upbringing.
Not Movies, but Music
Owing to his occupation as a civil engineer, Johnny Depp’s father, John, relocated often. In just seven years the family moved around twenty times. Although Johnny Depp was born in Kentucky, he would come to travel the breadth of the country as he grew up.
When Johnny Depp was around seven years old, the family settled in Miramar, Florida. This is where the bulk of his youth would be spent. Miramar itself is a dense, urban sprawl within the Miami metropolitan area.
Although a relatively small city, Miramar was home to around 120,000 people as of 2010. The city – and surrounding area – was always heavily populated, particular when Depp was growing up. This closely-packed, near suffocating urban environment may have contributed to Depp’s “weirdness” as a child.
When he was younger, Depp was reportedly suspected of having Tourette’s syndrome. He was ‘weird, withdrawn and often made odd noises.” Apparently, he gravitated towards music from a young age, as an escape from an altogether chaotic home life. You can see a video below of Depp playing guitar.
In a 2016 article, the author explores this aspect of Johnny Depp’s upbringing. As he grew up in Florida, he was apparently experiencing a very traumatic childhood. In this article, it’s explained that his mother would be violent towards him. However, he also states: “My dad was good with the belt.”
In this explorative article, Depp is also quoted as saying: “… when I found the guitar, from that moment on, like, I don’t have any memory whatsoever of puberty. None. Because I just literally locked myself in my bedroom and paid attention to the records, and I learned stuff.”
As a child, Johnny Depp worked with music to distance himself from his trauma. It may be surprising to some, but the modern-day movie legend that is Depp actually made his start in music.
When he was a teenager, he bounced from place to place with amateur bands, trying to land record deals. He pursued music in earnest, using the creative outlet to express his emotions. However, it wasn’t set to last forever, and the call of the stage was in the distance.
In Front Of The Camera
Depp made his movie debut in 1984, in the cult horror classic A Nightmare On Elm Street. His distancing from music came majorly after an introduction to Nicolas Cage. The already-established actor encouraged Depp to pursue acting himself.
He certainly did just that. In a very short time, Depp would establish himself as a leading actor. He was cast in numerous productions, both movie and television. Although he continued to dabble with music as the years went on, acting took center stage.
Although he found incredible success in the acting industry as time went on, it wasn’t always plain sailing. He’s won a string of awards and accolades for his work – such as Pirates of the Caribbean, but there have been struggles.
He’s been very outspoken about his difficulties with drugs and alcohol throughout his life. He’s had several relationships since the eighties, including marriages. Almost all of these have ended on unsavoury terms or circumstances.
There have also been run-ins with the law over the last few decades, as well. He’s been arrested for assault, breach of biosecurity laws and has been sued. In 2015, there was a controversy when it was found that Dep had breached quarantine regulations, bringing animals into Australia illegally.
However, he’s certainly a long way since his tumultuous upbringing in Florida. As of 2020 he was worth a reported $200 million, and still working regularly.