Did Johnny Depp Go To College?

If you’ve been wondering did Johnny Depp went to college, you’re not the only one. The actor has an interesting past and an unusual turn of events led to his very successful acting career. So did that include a lot of education?

Johnny Depp did not go to college. In fact, the actor never graduated from high school as he dropped out to pursue his passion in music with his garage band called the Kids.  

Johnny Depp may have left high school at 16, but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been able to make it big. In fact, that fateful decision to leave schooling started a chain of events that would eventually lead to his first big break in acting. 

Depp’s Early Years and Schooling Decisions

Johnny Depp was born in Kentucky, USA in 1963 to a waitress and a civil engineer. His family moved around a bit and Depp eventually ended up in Florida in 1970. He attended Henry D. Perry Middle School before starting at Miramar High School. 

In 1978, Depp’ parents divorced and his family circumstances were understandably affected. In fact, the actor’s mother expected Depp to help out by working with his dad to make ends meet. This reportedly caused a lot of stress for the young Depp, and he was known to engage in self harm and began cutting himself around this time. 

At around this time, Depp was involved in a garage band called the Kids. Deciding to focus on his blooming music career, Depp dropped out of high school at 16 years old. He had dreams of becoming a rock star but shortly after dropping out, Depp had second thoughts. 

According to interview responses, Depp actually decided to go back to school just two weeks after dropping out. He went back to the dean of the school and explained his position. Surprisingly, the school dean recognized Depp’s passion for music and told him to follow his dreams. 

Depp’s Post-School Life

While the band the Kids was successful, opening for the likes of the Ramones and Iggy Pop, their finances didn’t show their success. Shortly after dropping out of high school, Depp ended up living in a friend’s car. 

A few years later in 1983, Depp married one of the band member’s sister, Lori Allison. He put a pause on his music career and became a ballpoint-pen salesman. 

On a chance trip to Los Angeles, Allison introduced Depp to one of her ex-boyfriends, actor Nicolas Cage. Cage suggested that Depp become an actor and the rest is history! 

In just a few years in 1987, Depp snagged his first leading role on one of the most popular television series of the time, 21 Jump Street. 

Like Father Like Daughter

Not only is Johnny Depp one of the many famous actors and actresses to have dropped out of high school, but his daughter is following in the same footsteps. His daughter from marriage with French actress/model/singer Vanessa Paradis has also decided to skip schooling. 

Against her parents’ wishes, Lily-Rose Depp has decided to ditch school to pursue her modeling career. Depp has tried to encourage her to get her diploma first, but she said that he was in no position to give her advice about schooling. 

Lily-Rose actually has some pretty strong feelings about the American education system, saying that it puts undue pressure on kids. Saying that it’s dangerous for children to be exposed to so much stress, Lily-Rose is instead insisting that kids be given opportunities to forge their own path and continue learning on their own. She’s an avid reader and, like her father, has found a lot of success without formal education. 

High School Dropout

Johnny Depp’s story goes to show that not everyone needs a conventional education to be successful. He’s one of the many famous actors who never made it through high school, let alone college. It appears that his daughter is following in his footsteps and her decision to avoid college and highschool has also proven to be successful so far. 

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