1. Captain Jack Sparrow — Pirates of the Caribbean film series
Jack Sparrow is counted among one the most memorable characters in movie history. This is because of Depp’s outstanding performance as the extraordinarily witty and sometimes self-centered pirate lord, who spoke with a distinctive drawl.
2. Edward Scissorhands — Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Depp effortlessly brought out the character’s pain, fated to a life of loneliness, on screen. Besides his performance, critics and fans applauded the fantastic makeup work that made the actor almost unrecognizable. Edward Scissorhands marks one of the most mesmerizing roles played by Johnny Depp as the titular character.
3. Tonto — The Lone Ranger (2013)
Depp, a Comanche warrior part Cherokee and Creek Indian from his great-grandmother’s side, played Tonto, who helps a ranger from Texas take down a dangerous gang. Tonto has white paint on his face with dark lines drawn on it in the film. However, the most noticeable aspect of the look was a crow placed on his head.
4. Sweeney Todd — Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Sweeney Todd was one of the most notable roles played by Johnny Depp. It earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. In addition, Colleen Atwood, who worked on the costumes, received a nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design.
5. Mad Hatter — Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Johnny Depp’s transformation took a lot of make-up, some prosthetics, and a great deal of CGI to turn into the famous fictional character created by Lewis Carroll. But, undoubtedly, Mad Hatter remains one of the best movie transformations in his career.
6. Barnabas Collins — Dark Shadows (2012)
Depp plays the role of vampire Barnabas Collins in the comedy-horror Dark Shadows, who has to protect his descendants from the witch’s machinations. Depp put on white makeup for a distinctive pallor for the vampire look. Prosthetics have to be used to create his pointy ears, nose bridge, and fingers.
7. Willy Wonka — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A famous literary character Willy Wonka was created by Roald Dahl, a British author Roald Dahl in the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964. It was first adapted into a film as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 1971. It had the legendary Gene Wilder brilliantly playing Willy Wonka.
8. Gellert Grindelwald — Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Johnny Depp was entirely involved in the character transformation process like in previous movies. He got his hair cut and dyed in platinum and wore colored contact lenses in one eye that helped to enhance the menacing look in one eye. This was his famous villainous roles.
9. James ‘Whitey’ Bulger — Black Mass (2015)
Black Mass is noted as one of Johnny Depp’s most unrecognizable makeovers. Playing the real-life Boston crime boss in the film, Depp changed his appearance drastically, making himself look more aged and partially bald. Additionally, the film did amazing both at the Box Office and with the critics.
10. Big Bad Wolf — Into the Woods (2014)
The film has Johnny Depp’s best transformations. First, he played a human ‘Big Bad Wolf’ Wearing a fedora and a zoot suit in the movie based on the 1986 Broadway musical with the same name. Into the Woods has several prominent characters from children’s fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood. As the story goes, Depp’s Big Bad Wolf is presented as a threat to Hood and her grandmother.
