The Life and Career of Hollywood Icon Johnny Depp

21 Jump Street made Johnny Depp a star—and he hated it. Cast as Officer Tom Hanson, a baby-faced cop who goes undercover in high schools, Depp was suddenly a teen heartthrob. Posters with his face sold like wildfire. But he bristled at the role, feeling trapped in a pop idol box he never asked for.

He’d signed on hoping to pay rent, not become a poster boy. Behind the camera, he was already searching for weirder, deeper roles. Fans loved him, but Depp wanted out. He would burn his way through mainstream fame in four seasons with quiet rebellion.