Ted Demme’s Goodfellas-lite true crime exploits of 1970s Bostonian cocaine king pin George Jung saw Depp couple his smouldering sex appeal with a cool confidence not seen in many of his on screen creations, Depp adding style to his unique brand of substance as a man who gained everything and lost it all thanks to a pile of white  powder.

Following the huge success of Pirates of the Caribbean, Depp found himself in an unusual position as an Oscar nominated box office draw, a role which he capitalised on in his turn as famed Peter Pan creator Sir James Matthew Barrie, scoring a second Oscar nom thanks to his stirring yet cheeky portrayal of a man who finds his greatest creative triumph through the love of a bereaved family.

Depp’s first (and hopefully not last) collaboration with auteur Michael Mann saw the eccentric method man become famed bank robber John Dillinger, in an intense turn which comfortably sits amongst Mann’s other obsessed sociopaths (De Niro’s Neil McCauley; Tom Cruise’s Vincent).

Overshadowed by his other 2003 performance as a rowdy Pirate, Depp’s turn as the bizarre and sadistic CIA Agent Sands is an underappreciated piece of wonderfully eccentric comedy timing, mixed with a smooth cool the brutally shy actor tends to run away from on screen.

Tim Burton’s tribute to Hammer Horror marked his third and perhaps most undervalued collaboration with Depp, who flexed his unique comedic chops as the “sensitive” sleuth Ichabod Crane.

In a different life the musically inclined Depp would have no doubt been a rock star, so it was only fitting that he bring his punk rock crooning skills to the big screen in the bloody (and bloody good) film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, offering gloom and vengeance while slicing the throats of any who stand in his way.  

Proving that he doesn’t have to play eccentric to be effective, Depp’s turn as real life undercover FBI Agent Joseph Pistone (or to his mafia buddies Donnie Brasco), saw him trade blows with in form master thesp Al Pacino and more than stand his ground while doing so, the pair riffing off each other to dazzling effect.

Depp’s finest comedic performance, his sophomore collaboration with Tim Burton saw him portray the “world’s worst director” Ed Wood with a pep and confidence so far removed from his previous Edward (Scissorhands, duh!), that it was hard to believe the same actor played both roles.

It is one thing to create an iconic character, but its another when that character breaks into the mainstream in such a staggering way that it brought about the resurrection of a once dead sub-genre (the pirate film), a legion of impersonators, a shitload of swag, and two sequels which would have never been green lit over wise.

Such was the case with Depp’s Oscar nominated turn as swaggering pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, which once again showed off Depp’s undervalued comedic chops, and made him a box office star.

In a bid to shed his teen heartthrob image (brought on by hit TV show 21 Jump St.) and prove himself as an actor of unparalled talent, Depp took a role which would not only provide the exterior needed to hide his looks, but it also marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with director Tim Burton, who guided and urged Depp to embrace the freak within.

And so it goes with Edward Scissorhands, Burton’s personal tale of a gentle freak who is embraced by a suburban family, only to be ostracised by the Midwestern community in which they inhabit.

In order to portray the title character, Depp became a student of silent film star Charlie Chaplin, and his influence can be seen in every instant Depp appears on the screen. Every movement made, and every word uttered by Depp (all 169 of them), contains a power and sensitivity that not many actors can muster.

Much like the family with which he grows in love with, so too does the viewer grow to love this gentle freak, and the actor who made him flesh.