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The elements of Johnny Depp

Even when his role selections delve into the downright weird, Johnny Depp has never failed to entertain us.

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Actor Johnny Depp has never shied away from unusual roles, becoming one of Hollywood's most enduring -- and unlikely -- heartthrobs.

By AMANDA SELLET

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 2, 2009

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Is there a more unlikely superstar than Johnny Depp? The man is beautiful, of course, with those Jolie-esque cheekbones and pouty lips. He also has that indefinable something, the kind of magnetic presence that holds the eye on screen.

But unlike, say, Brad Pitt, whose Midwestern wholesomeness remains undimmed by age, adultery or expensive grooming products, Depp is weird. His entire career has been aggressively strange, cloaking him in an aura of off-kilter artsiness that is practically European in dimension (gasp!).

If he were any less attractive, he would be Crispin Glover.

Instead, Depp is an international box-office draw, capable of headlining A-list projects such as the forthcoming "Public Enemies," a Michael Mann gangster flick in which he co-stars with the Dark Knight himself, Christian Bale. How does he get away with it?

Well, you say, it's because of those Disney-associated "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, beloved by American families everywhere. When people think "Johnny Depp" they think "Captain Jack," not "Jim Jarmusch." OK, sure: Jack Sparrow, the long-haired, eyeliner-wearing, substance-abusing, vaguely swishy antihero. He's an iconic American male in the tradition of John Wayne and … no. Depp's riff on Keith Richards may have been less eerie than his pageboy-ed turn in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," but it was still out there by our supposedly narrow standards.

Maybe it's a matter of blissful ignorance. His legions of recent fans may not know Depp lives in France and parties with obscure art house directors such as Emir Kusturica. They could have forgotten about his wild youth: the trashed hotel rooms and waifish girlfriends, the rock-and-roll experiments, Hunter S. Thompson, tattoos, the Viper Room. These would be the same people who think that Tim Burton's first and last movie was "Batman."

Or perhaps our collective tastes are more eclectic than suspected, and in the shadows of the beefy quarterback ideal there is a hunger for poetic bangs and tortured artistes, the slender bad boy who may or may not paint his face and wear women's clothing on the sly. We have an egghead for president; why not a latter-day beatnik to rule the big screen?

Here is a look at the peculiar alchemy that has made Depp one of Hollywood's most enduring — and oddball — heartthrobs.

See the Johnny Depp table of elements!