Johnny Depp: A Modern Rebel

by Brian J. Robb

Known for his quirky, edgy roles and smoldering good looks, Johnny Depp is one of Hollywood's most obsessively followed superstars. Although Depp has been making movies for over 20 years, he's clearly still in the prime of his his recent roles, in The Man Who Cried, Blow, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show an actor at the top of his game, oozing the sex appeal and intense sensitivity with which he first mesmerized audiences in earlier oddball classics such as Cry Baby, Edward Scissorhands, and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Currently ensconced in a quiet quarter of France with partner Vanessa Paradis, Depp's sturdy persona is penetrated in Johnny Depp . Updated to include the films Depp has made since the last edition, plus future projects and his several short-lived marriages and assorted romances, this book provides a thorough look at one of Tinseltown's least-understood actors.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Brian J. Robb is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling biographer of Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt. He has also written books on silent cinema, the films of Philip K. Dick, Wes Craven, and Laurel and Hardy, the Star Wars movies, Superheroes, Gangsters, and Walt Disney, as well as science fiction television series Doctor Who and Star Trek. His illustrated books include an Illustrated History of Steampunk and a guide to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth (Winner, Best Book, Tolkien Society Awards). He writes and edits the Chaplin: Film by Film centenary blog site and is co-editor of the Sci-Fi Bulletin website. He lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Book Wonderland]

This is a good book with a lot of interesting facts about Johnny Depp's movies and life. However it was released in 2008, it should get a part 2, lots of things happened in Johnny's life and carrier since then.

My top 10 favorite Johnny Depp movies:

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory



2. Edward Scissorhands



3. Finding Neverland



4. Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald (I'm a huge Harry Potter fan 😄)



5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl



6. Sweeney Todd



7. Cry Baby



8. Alice in Wonderland



9. Sleepy Hollow



10. Nightmare on Elm Street

[Chameleon Bay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book years ago in flea market and bought it impulsively. It has been laying on my shelf for half a decade now, and so much has happened after this book's publification. That's why you don't write books on people that are still alive and breathing.

I have never been a big Johnny Depp fan, but even a blind person should still find him interesting (because he has an amazing voice as well). And even if a dislike most of his roles as a bit too weird, i cannot deny his talent as an actor - even as a rather eccentric and temperamental one.

I had no expectations towards this book, and so it managed to be a pleasant surprise. It did not waste chapters on early childhood and other meaningless stuff, but dived straight into Depp's career. I learned a lot of interesting facts regarding Depp himself, his fellow actors and film industry in general. All in all, this was a quick read and i have no regrets on using my time on this.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Modern Rebel is probably one of the first biographies made about actor Johnny Depp. This is surprisingly written well, going into depth about the personal life of Johnny and also the behind the scenes of most of his filmography from the late 80s to the mid-2000s. It is an even balance between the two, where Brian J. Robb made sure neither lives as a man and a working actor does not overshadow the other. While the internet makes these information much easier to find, this biography succeeded in painting Johnny Depp as a human, not the glossy celebrity he's portrayed as by the media. I bet if he read this book, he would be pleased at how it does not overly worship him and how every action speaks volume of his character and the man he became to be known as.

[Jevron McCrory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another solid and impressive book by Brian J Robb.

I love the Plexus publishing of these tomes. Not too big to handle, bendy, glossy covers, tons of pics, it's very nice indeed.

As with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, Mr Depp's book (by Mr Robb) is an impressive and mostly UN-opinionated retelling in chronological order of Johnny Depp's personal life and career to date. (I didn't read the updated version).

I love Robb's style in that, even for the casual reader, he takes you RIGHT behind the scenes for each and every movie the actor made and I really dig that. I love the little details of what goes into making movie magic.

A wonderfully concise writer with another concise book. Very nice indeed!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read that chronicles the career of Johnny Depp from the viewpoint of discussing each of the movies he's been in rather than simply writing about Johnny Depp the man and adding information about his films.

Midway through this book starts to loose much of its shine for me. I'm not sure if that's because of the author's approach to the subject or the author's inability to uncover interesting treasure buried in Depp's life.

Discussion of relationships and co-stars becomes shallow as The reader gets on in the text. This book is a great resource for Depp films info and is a decent starting point for the Depp fan.

[Morgan F]

I would let this man rob my cradle anytime.

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I love Johhny Depp. He plays strange parts which work for him. I like the movies where he acts so campy, he is perfect in those. I think this was a great book.

[A Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Johnny fan. This book was a good read. Some new facts some old...

[Sara Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom bought me this book because I have always been a huge Johnny Depp fan. This book made me more of a fan. It was interesting to learn more about him. He seems like such a humble guy and makes interesting choices in the roles he chooses.

[Alan Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of Depp.

[Lindsay Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at Hot Topic when I was twelve because I had a major crush on this man. Sold the book, still have the crush!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the most thrilling biography I've read, though it isn't the worst either. It seems to be very meticulous. I'd say accurate, but this book is really the only authority I can rely on to judge the authenticity of it's own information. I enjoyed it immensely, but more for the subject matter. Depp is fascinating so I would probably be interested regardless (though I do feel bad about my curiosity as I read since Robb constantly mentions how annoyed Depp gets at the over-attention).

Really, this book has a lot of information and lots of color pictures. There is a lack of authorial interpretation, a take on Depp if you will. Robb just sets out facts chronologically pretty much the whole way through. I suppose that would be fine if he was trying to present Depp as he is and not interpret, but that isn't the case either. Robb interprets (I mean, the subtitle is a modern rebel- definitely not mere distanced reporting), but he avoids presenting a unified take on Depp via the book.

Still, I did enjoy reading it. I suppose I shouldn't expect too much for a book sitting on a rack at Hot Topic.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of biographies because except for Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain, I have never read a good one. When the biography is about a singer, it's usually about the albums they released; when it's about an actor, it's about the movies they starred in. Same goes for this one - it's not really a story about Johnny Depp, it's about what he and critics thought about the movies he starred in, with a very small amount of information on Johnny's relationships with women. I rated this book 3 stars only because of Johnny's quotes, the only things that made it interesting.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected insights and insider information, but instead this book reads like a series of magazine gossip columns strung together into book length: no interviews with Depp himself, his co-stars, directors, film crew, friends, acquaintances, or other people involved in his life. The quotes sprinkled throughout the text could have been gleaned from press releases and other media sources. The photographs are almost all production stills and publicity shots from movie studios - there are no candid pictures of the star or his partners whatsoever. While there were some interesting snippets, it didn't give me much more than reminders of what I knew already.

[Katelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I know that I am a huge fan of Johnny Depp. And I mean HUGE. But there is always something new to learn about my man. And I also got to read some really good quotes that you could probably never find anywhere else.
I really loved this book. And it really didn't take me that long to read.
But I would recommend this to Johnny Depp fans. Or anybody who would just like to know anything about Johnny Depp!

[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't much of a biography, to be honest. It did give some background and some interesting facts and quotes. However, this book is a very thorough and in-depth filmography. It goes through all of Johnny Depp's projects (even ones that were cancelled) up until the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, including critics' reviews and the overall reception of his films. It's interesting and fairly short. I would recommend it for Johnny Depp fans who have an interest in his work.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There might very well be better options out there, but as a brand new Johnny Depp fan [in 2005], I found it an excellent overview of his professional life. That's really what I came for. It was a great guide to orient myself on all his films, most of which I hadn't seen at that point, allowing me to go into them armed with some background knowledge. It'll be sadly out of date at this point, but for a time-capsule snapshot, it works.

[Katelyn S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this book was AWESOME! I loved it. It was my first biography that I read, I am working on my second one.

But you talk about an in-depth book about Johnny Depp, then this is the book for you. But I LOVED it!

[Noora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mielenkiintoinen, joskin aika lailla Deppin elokuviin ja niistä kertomiseen keskittynyt kirja. Olisi ollut myös mielenkiintoista lukea Deppin itsensä mielipiteitä muutenkin kuin vanhojen haastattelujen muodossa. Ihan hyvä kirja kuitenkin mielenkiintoisesta näyttelijästä.

[Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic biography. Great pictures and keeps you interested.

[Shruti G Gulati]

we have all come to love and cherish this actor...this person....his journey through the hardships and loves lost....to becoming one of the best at what he does

[Evelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olso that book I have read in finnish. I learned "you can complite anything if you really want to it". It was a good book. It told very many things.

[Emma]

I´m just reading it and it´s very interesting...

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book highlights Depp's career quite nicely and was entertaining to read.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Johnny and found the book informative, but I won't read it a second time.

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and nice "behind the facade" book.

[Keyla Carrasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

well you now what i cant re

[Jayne Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

huge fan of johnny depp so loved this book

[MarylineD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like every book about Johnny Depp, it is really good!

[Linzi Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

It cured my boredom and made me laugh