Not only is Johnny Depp a huge star, but his unconventional choice of movie roles has made him a fascinating and mysterious character, endearing himself to audiences as diverse as the roles he plays. With appearances in both children's and adult films such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Ed Wood, Depp has a mass market cross-generational appeal. Tracing his career from his debut in Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 through to his flamboyant turn as the voice of Victor Van Dort in Corpse Bride and the spectacular success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this biography shows how Depp has successfully carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. Other aspects of the charismatic actor's life charted include include failed engagements to Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder, and Kate Moss; his current relationship with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children; and his early wild parallel career as a rock musician.
Nigel Goodall has written more than a dozen books, including the best-selling Winona Ryder (Blake, 1998), nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 1999. He was a production associate for Channel 4's The Real Winona Ryder. His other books include Elton John: A Visual Documentary, an illustrated Rolling Stones book and the bestseller Kylie Naked: A Biography (Ebury, 2002, with Jenny Stanley-Clarke). He writes for magazines and contributes to various album, video and television projects. Nigel is divorced with two children.