After finding fame on the hit late-1980s TV series "21 Jump Street," Depp forged a stardom in Hollywood few have ever seen. Thanks to offbeat movies with Tim Burton like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood," Depp became regarded as an amazing talent who could blend into any kind of role.
Depp was paid handsomely for his efforts.
According to his former management firm, The Management Group, Depp earned over $650 million in the 13 years they worked together from 1999 to 2016.
A major reason for that wealth has been due to the huge paydays he received playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
The mix of visual spectacle and Depp's outlandish performance as Captain Jack led to 2003's "Curse of the Black Pearl," a big-screen adaptation of the Pirates of the Caribbean Disney parks attraction, garnering worldwide box-office earnings of over $650 million.
With that, Depp's asking price soared. On top of taking in $20 million pre-picture in the franchise, he got around 20% of the backend, per picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
So not only was he paid upfront, but Depp was cut another check after the movie broke even.
Thanks to the success of the "Pirates" sequels, including 2006's "Dead Man's Chest" which earned over $1 billion worldwide, Depp's earnings from the movies became astronomical.
The actor brought in north of $40 million per sequel on the backend of the movies alone, per THR. Again, that doesn't count the $20 million base pay for each.
But not all of that went directly into Depp's pocket. His agents got 10%, managers took 5%, and there are deductions for taxes and expenses.
Taking a pause from playing Captain Jack in 2010, Depp teamed up again with Tim Burton for the latest adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland."
On top of his $20 million base, THR reported that he took in a huge $55 million backend thanks to the movie's successful box office run, as it brought in over $1 billion.
Thanks to the "Pirates" movies, "Alice," and 2014's "Into the Woods" (he played the Big Bad Wolf) all getting prime home entertainment releases and cable play, in 2016 and 2017 Depp took in $25.7 million in residuals thanks to his profit participation deals on those movies.
In 2016, he even landed on Forbes' list of highest-paid celebrities. He reportedly took in $48 million that year.
The actor has been the face of Sauvage for years. Depp was taking in reportedly $3 million to $5 million in the deal.
In August, Insider confirmed that Depp signed a seven-figure, multi-year deal with Dior.