Celebrities! They’re just like us! Except they’re rich and everyone loves them and they basically get all kinds of freebies and goods and special attention. Other than that, though, they’re just like us. Take Johnny Depp for example. Despite being one of the most famous actors of all time, appearing in classics like Pirates of the Caribbean, Donnie Brasco and Edward Scissorhands, he still suffers from vision problems. But is he blind?
Depp’s career has had more ups and downs than a seesaw on a playground. He was seemingly untouchable in the entertainment world until he went and married actress Amber Heard, and when they divorced she accused him of being verbally and physically abusive. Well, let’s back up a smidge here.
Depp was born John Christopher Depp II on June 9, 1963, making him the ripe old age of 60. He was the youngest of four kids, and his mom was a waitress and his father was an engineer. The family settled in Miramar, Florida, and Depp aspired to a music career, which saw him drop out of high school and move to Los Angeles. While his music career never really got off the ground, he eventually met a young Nicolas Cage, and the two became drinking buds.
Cage encouraged Depp to pursue acting, something he was fairly interested in after reading a James Dean biography. There was one problem, however – Depp had zero acting experience. Regardless, he auditioned for a part in Nightmare on Elm Street and got it after director Wes Craven’s daughter thought he was a cutie. The classic Hollywood story right there.
From that, he started getting cast in other films and had a notable part in Oliver Stone’s Platoon. However, it wasn’t until he got the lead in the FOX drama 21 Jump Street that he achieved mainstream teen idol status. From there he jumped into the stratosphere, and by the mid ’90s he was a box office draw, something that would mostly continue until the Amber Heard thing changed his career.
He eventually prevailed in court in his civil case against Heard, and he’s now trying to drag his career out of the gutter and improve his reputation, something that he’s been doing slowly but surely. His next role will be in the animated movie Johnny Puff: Secret Mission.
So is Johnny Depp blind?
Now, about the eye thing. Not a lot of people know this, but the star actually has terrible vision, which he revealed in a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone. He often wears glasses out and about, and they definitely aren’t just for show. He actually needs them very badly, even though they don’t work on his left eye. Depp told the publication that he’s been “basically blind as a bat” in his left eye, and that it’s impossible to correct, and just something he has to live with everyday.
“Everything is just very, very blurry,” he said. “I’ve never had proper vision.” His right eye vision is far-sighted, so he can pretty much only see inches in front of his face. This means that while he’s not completely blind, he does have terrible vision — and in some circumstances, he might as well be.