Johnny Depp Selling Off Artwork, Actor Struggling For Money?
Johnny Depp is selling his self-painted portraits of famous influences, a collection titled "Friends and Heroes II."
Many actors have tried their hands at various artistic pursuits outside of acting. After a number of lengthy legal battles, Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp could be engaging in a new business venture using his fine art talents to make some serious cash. According to Variety, Johnny Depp is selling a collection of hand-painted portraits of various celebrities that he’s encountered throughout the years.
The description of the collection from the seller’s website reads: “Each image is an intimate reflection of their character in Johnny’s eyes; a portrayal of how they have revealed themselves to him.” The bio continues by stating that he uses his “laser sharp powers of observation, and the ability to identify and utilise the subtlest nuance,” in order to “create a true authenticity and depth in the portraits of those who have become the most important figures in his life.”
This is the second collection for Depp as an artist. Titled, “Friends & Heroes II,” it is a four-piece collection of silk-screen prints that includes portraits of Heath Ledger, Bob Marley, River Phoenix, and Hunter S. Thompson. Depp is selling his collection through the art retailer Castle Fine Art for $21,000, which sold his first collection, “Friends & Heroes,” in 2022.
Once one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, the well could be running dry for Johnny Depp, and selling off these paintings could be a cash grab after numerous lengthy and expensive legal battles, a reluctance by some in the industry to be associated with the actor, and a swayed public opinion about the once-beloved Depp.
Depp has recently undergone some controversy in the form of two large legal battles that played out in the media, both libel trials. The first was a lost trial against the UK tabloid The Sun after one reporter labeled him a “wife beater” in an article. The other was a winning trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, who had publicly alluded to Depp being abusive in an op-ed she wrote in support of the #MeToo movement.
Johnny Depp has carved out a niche for himself as someone who portrays loners, tortured souls, and strange, eccentric characters. After his breakout performance in the teen television series 21 Jump Street, he delivered acclaimed performances in films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Finding Neverland, and as a starring role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter films Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
He is possibly best known for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the action-adventure film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl which he would reprise numerous times throughout the franchise, with his most recent appearance as Captain Jack Sparrow being in 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Depp also has a longstanding tradition of collaborating with director Tim Burton with whom he has collaborated eight times, starting with 1990’s Edward Scissorhands, and including Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, and most recently 2012’s Dark Shadows.
Depp has an ongoing career as a guitarist which dates back prior to his pursuit of acting. He is part of the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires with industry legends Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.
