Very rarely does Johnny Depp take on a role that is bland. His latest bit of work, playing Tonto in The Lone Ranger, is yet another instance of Depp taking on a character with the potential for really interesting (and yes, eccentric) interpretation. And even though the strangeness he’ll display through his range of character portrayals has almost become the norm, he has a way of making this predictable weirdness interesting nonetheless, often through sheer physicality.
This has made for a career with very few movies featuring Depp as a straightforward character. Even his less bizarre characters come to life in a way that few other actors can achieve. In a way, he gives his more ordinary characters a uniqueness and touch that makes them extraordinary, and gives his more unusual characters a grounding and humanness that makes them either tremendously sympathetic and relatable, or somehow uncanny, both freakish and familiar. It may be unsettling, but it’s never boring.
Here are 10 of the most memorable and iconic movie roles that could only have been made possible by the unique talent of Johnny Depp.