Johnny Depp is mostly known for his impressive leading roles, but he has also made a few exciting movie cameos. With a career spanning almost four decades, Depp has played a myriad of unique characters — from Willy Wonka to Edward Scissorhands. In all of these, it is impossible to narrow down his best. However, his genius depiction of the always pompous — and sometimes heroic — Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise remains the primary reason why his fame prevails even when the seas are rather rough.
As the legend goes, Nicolas Cage first opened some early doors for Johnny Depp's acting career. Following this, his fame skyrocketed with the original 21 Jump Street TV show and a few independent films like What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Fear and Loathing in Vegas. But only after Depp dipped his feet in Tim Burton's world of dark fantasy did he become the sort-of-weird film juggernaut that he is today. According to an interesting bit of trivia, Johnny Depp was also once considered to play Batman on the big screen, but it never came to fruition.
With so many different faces, personas, and archetypes under his belt, Johnny Depp is a creative force to be reckoned with. No wonder, in addition to his leading roles, he has popped up as a cameo in many a film. While most of these fleeting appearances may seem pale compared to his mainstream larger-than-life roles, they do give a glimpse of Depp's unwavering talent.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
After his debut in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny Depp returned to the slasher franchise in 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, a.k.a A Nightmare on Elm Street 6. Considering how Johnny Depp's fame and acting accolades had grown significantly since his debut, one could only dream of his return alongside the nightmare demon Freddy Krueger. Not to mention, his character's ultimate death had killed all prospects of his return to the movie series. But apparently, as a favor to director Rachel Talalay, Johnny Depp decided to briefly appear in what seems to be a sequence no less bizarre than a dream. The scene, like most cameos, adds no heft to the movie's overarching premise, but Johnny Depp's little parody of "this is your brain on drugs" commercials is amusing enough to make it memorable.
Cannes Man (1996)
Using self-imitation as a narrative device, Cannes Man tells the tale of a self-indulgent Hollywood where many actors — including Johnny Depp — make cameos as themselves. The film focuses on Sy Lerner, a typical movie producer, who bets that he can use the Cannes Film Festival's hype to turn a nobody into a big star. With a New York cab driver as his test subject, it does not take him long to cast a spell of razzmatazz and conmanship on the world of glamor and fame. Cannes Man is not a critically acclaimed drama and has been long forgotten since its release. However, its quasi-mockumentary style and numerous cameos offer some intriguing insights into the inner workings of the film industry.
Happily Ever After (2004)
In a relatively long cameo in the French film Happily Ever After, Johnny Depp speaks fluent French, listens to Radiohead at a kiosk with the female lead, and later even kisses her. This cameo is not as distinct and memorable as the others, but the sheer randomness of Depp's appearance in the film somehow adds to its cutesy appeal. Even with his limited screentime, Johnny Depp maintains a certain detached edge to his character, which seems very well suited for Happily Ever After's corny material.
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is not only reminiscent of the auteur's extravagant cinematic vision but also serves as a poignant send-off to Heath Ledger. While preserving the late actor's unfinished role, the movie portrays Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law as the many incarnations of his character. Honored to represent Heath Ledger with his cameo in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Johnny Depp expressed his gratitude by recalling that Ledger (via Digital Spy) "was the only player out there breathing heavy down the back of every established actor's neck with a thundering and ungovernable talent that came up on you quick, hissing rather mischievously with that cheeky grin, 'hey... get on out of my way boys, I'm coming through...'"
Jack And Jill (2011)
If imitation is the best form of flattery, then Johnny Depp and Al Pacino are paying quite the compliment to themselves in Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. Cameoing as himself, Johnny Depp pop-ups for a few seconds as Al Pacino's companion at a basketball game. Although Jack and Jill was critically panned and is considered one of the weaker additions to the Sandlerverse, its Johnny Depp cameo is well appreciated as it goes to show that the actor never misses on the opportunity to have some fun with his roles.
21 Jump Street (2012)
Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise's cameos in 21 Jump Street offer a heavy dose of nostalgia to the ones well versed with the original series. Harping on the movie's comical take on the relatively serious premise of the show, Johnny Depp lampoons his character by obsessing over peanut butter and revealing himself as a law enforcement officer only to be dead moments later. For the '80s kids, this cameo was a well-thought-out callback to the high-octane gun-slinging teenage cop shenanigans of Johnny Depp's Tom Hanson, while for others it served as another wacky depiction of Johnny Depp's acting forte.
Lucky Them (2013)
Starring Toni Collette of the Hereditary fame, Lucky Them revolves around the day-to-day snags of a struggling music journalist who gets the opportunity to investigate the disappearance of an influential musician named Matthew Smith. Johnny Depp, being quite the famously enigmatic A-lister himself, perfectly captures the essence of Matthew Smith's mysteriousness in his short but significant cameo. Without completely shattering the prism of his star appeal, Johnny Depp somehow grounds his character in Lucky Them's realistic drama. Recalling her experience from the movie's sets (via Vanity Fair), Toni Collette confessed that she was almost shocked at how she and Johnny Depp "completely connected in a very disarming, very real way."
London Fields (2018)
Before the Pirates of the Caribbean star sailed through the torrid currents of his ugly split with Amber Heard, he collaborated with her in The Rum Diary and London Fields. With Amber Heard at its forefront, London Fields adapts an eponymous novel written by Martin Amis that centers on the romantic endeavors of a clairvoyant femme fatale. Despite being an adaptation of one of Amis' best works, the movie was heavily criticized for its convoluted plot and lousy character beats that provoked fans of the book and baffled those unversed with it. However, even with his momentary cameo, Johnny Depp breathes some life into the movie with his unmatched vitality and charm.