Depp was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and fronted a series of music-garage bands. However, it was when he married Lori Anne Allison, that he took up the job of being a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger.
In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward Scissorhands. Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood. In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco, opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film The Astronaut's Wife. The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow, brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.
In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward Scissorhands. Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood. In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco, opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film The Astronaut's Wife. The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow, brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.