In recent years, many celebrities, including Selena Gomez and Simon Cowell, have opted for extensive dental work to achieve perfect smiles. However, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has notably refused to follow this trend, sparking debate over his noticeably imperfect teeth.
After a lengthy and highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp made his first public appearance at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival to promote “Jeanne du Barry,” where he plays French King Louis XV. His teeth drew significant attention online, with one commenter on X stating, “Those teeth are a few months away from falling out,” and another quipping, “I don’t think he’s seen a toothbrush since the Clinton administration.”
Depp is known for immersing himself in his roles, and his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in 2003 included gold caps on some of his teeth to enhance the character’s roguish charm. In a 2003 interview with the LA Times, he recalled the executives’ initial discomfort with his choice: “Jerry [Bruckheimer, producer] was slightly uncomfortable, and the Disney executives weren’t exactly enthusiastic about it. I said, ‘Look, these are the choices I made. You know my work. So either trust me or give me the boot.’ Luckily, they didn’t.”
Fans speculate that the dental work Depp underwent for his role as Jack Sparrow caused permanent damage to his teeth, resulting in stains and the retention of some gold caps. Though he has never confirmed these rumors, Depp spoke in a 2005 interview with Dark Horizons about the importance of achieving the perfect look for his character Willy Wonka in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” mentioning how the veneers changed the shape of his face slightly.
During the defamation trial against Amber Heard, Depp opened up about his past substance abuse and alcohol problems, admitting he used drugs for “self-medication” and became addicted to opioids after a painful injury. Experts at the American Dental Center explain that substance abuse can severely affect oral health, with cocaine leading to receding gums and tooth loss, marijuana causing mouth dryness and plaque build-up, and alcohol masking dental pain, allowing issues to worsen.
Additionally, Depp has been a smoker since childhood, once joking in an interview with The Seattle Times that he wants “to have another mouth grafted onto my face to smoke more. Instead of three packs a day, I want to smoke six packs a day.”
Depp has long been candid about his dental issues. In a 1995 interview with Premier magazine, he detailed the extensive dental work he had already needed, admitting, “I’ve got loads of cavities. I had a root canal done eight years ago that’s unfinished. It’s like a rotten little stub… But I like it. I’m proud of these.” He added, “When I see people with perfect teeth, it drives me up the wall. I’d rather swallow a tick than have that!”
Despite Hollywood’s obsession with perfection and the constant scrutiny actors face, Depp’s disdain for veneers is a surprising choice, emphasizing his preference for authenticity over appearance.
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