Johnny Depp's Greatest Characters

Johnny Depp is one of the finest and most versatile actors who currently graces the big screen bringing us interesting and sometimes flamboyant characters left, right and centre.

This week sees him return with his new movie The Rum Diary, which is an adaptation of the Hunter. S Thompson novel of the same name.

To celebrate the release of the movie and the return of Depp to the silver screen we take a look at some of his best character creations.

Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands kicked off the partnership between Depp and filmmaker Tim Burton back in  1990 as the actor took on his most off the wall role to date.

Burton's casting of Depp in Scissorhands proved to be the young actor's breakthrough performance and kicked off his fascination with off the wall loner characters, for which he has become famous.

Edward remains my favourite Depp character and Tim Burton collaboration - hard to believe that this movie is now twenty years old.

Jack Sparrow

However Depp's most famous creation is, without a shadow of a doubt, Captain Jack Sparrow - a character who first graced the big screen back in 2003 - yes nearly a decade ago.

The story is well told that Depp shocked the cast and studio executives with his portrayal of Sparrow but it turned out to be a turn of pure genius as Curse of the Black Pearl was a huge box office success.

Jack Sparrow is one of the greatest cinema icons in the past ten years as he returned to the big screen this summer for more adventures on the high seas.

Collectively the series has grossed in excess of $3.7 billion at the global box office - all thanks to Depp wonderful creation.

Willy Wonka

When it was announced that Tim Burton would be bringing the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the big screen there was only one actor who was ever going to play Willy Wonka.

A slightly bizarre character the role was right up Depp's street - quite creepy as well as being seriously socially stunted.

Depp's central performance earnt him another Golden Globe nod as the movie went on to gross over $474 million at the global box office.

John Dillinger

The summer of 2009 saw him take on a straight role as he, along with filmmaker Michael Mann, brought the story of John Dillinger to the big screen.

Public Enemies follows Dillinger during his 1930s crime wave as he has the Feds hot on his tail.

It's a great central performance from Depp as he really gets under the skin of a man that has fascinated America as he tries to peel away the layers of a man that not much is known about away from his crimes.

Sweeney Todd

On paper this movie should not work a tale of betrayal, murder, revenge and passion all set to Stephen Sondheim's music, with lead actors who have never sung before.

But when you have Tim Burton at the helm and Depp in the leading role that slightly bizarre movie idea tends to work.

And that is exactly what happened with Sweeney Todd as Depp took on the role of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Depp is quite simply fabulous as the ghoulish villain Todd, and a surprisingly good singer - this really is a performance that you should check out.

The Academy agreed as he was nominated for Best actor for that central performance.

Paul Kemp

Paul Kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean

Soon after arriving in San Juan, he manages to land a job at the 'Daily News', an English-language rag whose staff, an assortment of has-beens, mad geniuses, drunks, and spongers, would seem more at home in the Foreign Legion.

Paul is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction

The Rum Diary is released 11th November.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw