Weird Movie Roles Made Popular by Johnny Depp

Aside from becoming the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie franchise, along with its many merchandise items and the character's huge theme park presence, Johnny Depp has played a number of interesting movie roles for the past two decades. In fact, the various quirky and memorable characters he has played through the years are more than a handful that it's rather difficult to choose the weirdest or more popular ones among the lot. Even defining and comparing the kind of eccentricity these roles offered on the big screen often require a complicated analysis of varying elements.

Depp may be recently known for popularly weird roles like the Madd Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland," Victor Van Dort in "Corpse Bride," and Ed Wood in "Ed Wood." Noticeably, these interestingly weird characters mostly come from his collaborations with filmmaker Tim Burton. In terms of weirdness when focusing on the characterization, physical features, and actual story of these films, these are some of the most strikingly absurd, funny, and creepy characters he played in between many years of his successful movie star career:

Edward Scissorhands

Depp's role as Edward Scissorhands in the Tim Burton movie of the same title was a groundbreaking film that earned him a respectable place in the promising young actors list of the 1990s. Prior to this challenging role, he was mainly branded as a matinee idol best known for his character in the TV series "21 Jump Street." When "Edward Scissorhands" came out, people realized he was more than just a pretty face, that his artistic side came from deep within and it would actually come out when there's a suitable material and the right character to play.

Although this film came out in 1990, it has remained one of his most popular, and at the same time, weirdest roles to date. It has captured many generations of film fans and it has influenced a great number of cinematic offerings for the next years to come. When talking about "Edward Scissorhands," people also remember"Johnny Depp" and "Tim Burton," the two geniuses that made this surreal film within reality's reach.

Willy Wonka

The interesting thing about Depp's variety of weird roles is that it tends to cater to a wide range of audiences coming from different generations. In the case of the film adaptation and reboot of the classic Roald Dahl children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," he played the role of Willy Wonka, the founder of the Wonka Candy Company and the inventor of fictional candies like the Wonka Bars and the Everlasting Gobstoppers. For this film, he captured the eccentrically fun side of his character's colorful world -- in a way both children and adult viewers would enjoy. More than the striking weirdness of the character's physicality, Depp's Willy Wonka exuded a sense of humanity hiding inside his "mad scientist" bearing. He was able to bring to life an interesting and respectable version of such a classic character in motion picture form.

Sweeney Todd

Depp may be undoubtedly talented in handling eccentric roles, but he soared to greater heights as he was able to carry a dark musical offer in "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." He may not be the best singer, but he successfully thrived with his musical numbers, while keeping that much needed creepy but charming personality as Sweeney Todd. This masterpiece really brought him to another level of acting craftsmanship. He also made a stamp on how the visual and thematic aspects of the his acting can work best for the director's vision for the film.