The Cast Of Willy Wonka – See What They Are Up To Now

Johnny Depp

When the former 21 Jump Street actor took on the role of Willy Wonka in the Burton remake, Depp clearly wanted the character to be very different and evolved from the original one portrayed by Gene Wilder. Rumored to have used Michael Jackson’s late life behavior as a model, Depp recast Wonka as an androgynous, mentally-disturbed character with an entire life story behind him separate from the immediate film plot. It worked.

Despite his success a movie pirate later on, today Depp rides the rough sees of real life, becoming damaged by an ugly divorce from Amber Heard as well as accusations of spousal abuse. While Depp has defended himself vigorously, the entertainment industry is fickle and has immediately dropped him from projects to distance their brand from Depp.