Johnny Depp has an accent because of his extensive acting experience, which has required him to adopt several accents like Scottish, Australian, Irish, and French, to name a few. However, it is vital to establish that Depp is bilingual because he only speaks two languages – English and French.
Johnny Depp’s defamation trial involving his ex-wife Amber Heard unveiled a lot of peculiarities about The Pirates of the Caribbean star, including the fact that he speaks with various accents, as well as the fact that he had difficulty delivering his lines in court. This article delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Johnny Depp’s accent.
What Accent Does Johnny Depp Have?
As has been previously stated, Johnny Depp’s ability to speak and adapt different accents, including French, Scottish, Irish, Australian, and English, to his speech patterns have made it difficult to discern the exact accent he speaks with.
Despite his grasp of the aforementioned accents like English, Scottish, Irish, and Australian, Depp has never lived in any of those countries for a long period. Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, United States, on June 9, 1963, Johnny Depp spent most of his formative years in Miramar, Florida, where his family moved when he was seven.
It makes sense then that many would expect him to have an American accent, even though his jumble of accents at present is a far cry from that.
During the early years of his acting career, which included film credits such as Nightmare on Elms Street, Johnny Depp’s accent was noticeably American. However, the passage of time and other important factors have contributed to the noticeable departure from his base American accent, which most people, including those who followed the defamation trial, have noticed over time.
One more thing that people noticed during the defamation trial involving the Pirates of the Caribbean star is that he had trouble delivering some of his lines in court; it was a fact that led people to believe that he may have a stutter. The more likely explanation for the rumored stutter, however, had more to do with the fact that he was dealing with a range of emotions and that he was also nervous.
Where Does Johnny Depp Get His Accent?
Johnny Depp’s many accents come from his extensive acting career, which has seen him interpret different characters of several origins, all of which have required him to use different accents to deliver perfect performances.
Whether you are a cinephile or not, you must have heard of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and its main character Captain Jack Sparrow. That is the role fans of the actor mostly associate him with because of how well he did in the franchise.
He modeled his accent in the movies after Keith Richards, an English musician famous for playing the guitar and singing vocals with The Rolling Stones. The actor received positive reviews for portraying the character and the slightly drunken English Accent.
He Also Communicates Well in Several Other Accents
He displayed a different range of English accents in his portrayal of Sweeney Todd. His masterful use of the Scottish accent in Finding Neverland was also applauded by critics and native speakers who have long been fed up with how American actors and actresses butcher accents that are not American.
To achieve his goal, he studied and spent countless hours with voice coaches to perfect the Aberdonian accent required for his character, and his efforts paid off significantly.
Depp also lived in France for more than a decade, and that pretty much explains his French accent.
Johnny Depp May Have Foreign Accent Syndrome
The reality of Johnny’s speech being laced with several accents has led people to believe that the actor may have Foreign Accents Syndrome. FAS is a speech disorder characterized by a sudden change in a native speaker who is perceived to speak with a foreign accent.
Research conducted on this subject confirms that only about 100 people in the history of the world have ever been diagnosed with the rare speech impediment known as FAS. Most have developed this disorder due to a traumatic head injury or drug misuse.
Given Depp’s drug abuse history, there have been reasonable speculations about that being the reason for his use of multiple accents. However, there is no credible proof that he has been diagnosed with FAS.
Some Have Criticized Johnny Depp’s Use of Accents
As expected, not everyone is entirely down with Johnny’s use of accents outside of movie sets and silver screens. One such critic is American shock jock Howard Stern who lashed out at the actor for operating during his defamation trial.
While discussing the trial on his SiriusXM radio show, he wondered why the 60-year-old found it difficult to speak the English language in his base American accent, despite being born in Kentucky.
How Many Languages Does Johnny Depp Speak?
To the best of anyone’s knowledge, Johnny Depp speaks two languages fluently. They are the English language and the French language. Having been born in the United States, his first language is obviously English.
Although he did mention in an interview that he has Native American ancestry, thanks to his grandmother, who grew up ‘Cherokee or Creek Indian.’ Nonetheless, he has no grasp of any Native American languages.
Much of Depp’s French-speaking ability comes from the near one decade and a half he spent living in France with ex-girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, who is a French singer and actress, and whom he started dating in 1998. The ex-couple were together for 14 years and share two children, Lily-Rose Depp and Jack Depp.
In an effort to better understand his children, who often conversed with their mother in French only to switch to the English language when talking with him, Depp was motivated to learn the French language.
Initially, his French and accent were terrible, but he has improved considerably since then, even when he interacts in French whenever he is interviewed by the French media. It’s no wonder he calls France his spiritual home.
Below is a bullet list of languages that Johnny Depp speaks fluently
- English Language
- French Language
Johnny Depp’s use of multiple accents will always divide public opinion, but at least most people have a better understanding of the dynamics behind his use of them.
