’21 Jump Street’: The “miserable” and “fascist” role that Johnny Depp hated
Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, who each helped to make Hollywood cinema thrive in the 1990s, Johnny Depp enjoyed consistent success from his debut in 1984 through to the new millennium. The recipient of three Oscar nominations, Depp remains a key fixture of pop culture who is capable of both box office success and critical acclaim.
Like countless other Hollywood stars, such as the great Tom Hanks, Depp’s career started in the horror genre, appearing in the Wes Craven classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. It wouldn’t take long after his debut for his good looks and acting chops to attract the eyes of some of cinema’s greatest filmmakers, from Oliver Stone to John Walters, casting him in such celebrated flicks as Platoon and Cry Baby.
Fatefully, once Tim Burton came calling, Depp would become locked into superstardom, with the pair forming a solid collaboration that would prove sturdy for decades. It all started with Edward Scissorhands in 1990, but before the decade was through, the duo had already worked on three feature films, with Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow following in 1994 and 1999, respectively. Yet, despite the actor’s meteoric rise, there was one role in Depp’s formative years that he utterly despised.
Speaking to Playboy back in 1996, Depp was asked about his dislike for his part in the cop series 21 Jump Street, which told the story of a police unit that specialised in tackling youth crime, questioning if he still believed it was “fascist”.
“Sure it was,” the actor responded, “Cops in school? I mean, bad things happen in schools, but this was even worse than cops in school. It was preachy, pointing the finger.”
Continuing, he added: “It was hypocritical because the people running that show, the very highest of the higher-ups, were getting high. They were getting loaded. And then to say, ‘Now kiddies, don’t do this’ was horseshit. I was miserable living that lie for three years. Mortified. I was getting loaded, too. Am I really the one to say, ‘Don’t get high?’”
Whilst the TV series was adored upon its release in 1987, 21 Jump Street is far better known for its contemporary movie adaptation, where directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller created two films that were tongue-in-cheek celebrations of the original. Starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, the films were critically and commercially adored, making a collective total of over $500million.
Depp can’t have hated his time in the 21 Jump Street series that much, however, as the actor appeared in a cameo role in the 2012 movie adaptation.
Take a look at Depp’s first appearance in the 21 Jump Street series below.
