Acting career
Depp starred in a lead role on the Fox television series, 21 Jump Street, which premiered in 1987. He accepted this role to work with actor Frederic Forrest, who inspired him. Depp's long-time friend Sal Jenco joined the cast as a semi-co-star as the janitor named Blowfish. The series' success turned Depp into a popular teen idol during the late 1980s. Despite this success, Depp felt "forced into the role of product." He subsequently decided to appear only in films that he felt were right for him. Depp and his co-stars, Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson, briefly reprised their roles in cameo appearances in the series' 2012 feature film adaptation, which featured a much more comedic tone than the series.
Early roles
Depp's first major role was in the 1984 classic horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, as the boyfriend of heroine Nancy Thompson (played by Heather Langenkamp) and one of Freddy Krueger's victims. The director of the 1986 American skating drama Thrashin' then cast Depp for the film's lead role; however, his decision was later overridden by the film's producer. In 1986, Depp appeared in a secondary role as a Vietnamese-speaking private in Oliver Stone's Platoon. Depp's first release in 1990 was Cry-Baby. Although the film did not achieve high audience numbers upon its initial release, over the years it has gained a cult classic status. Depp's next release that year saw him undertake the quirky title role of Tim Burton's film Edward Scissorhands, a critical and commercial success that established Depp as leading Hollywood actor and began his long association with Burton.