by Marilyn Justine

Created on: July 06, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2010

Johnny Depp's filmography is almost as impressive as his acting ability. From his debut in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' as Glen (the kid who gets eaten by the bed) to his most recent performance as the Mad Hatter in 'Alice in Wonderland', Johnny Depp never fails to throw himself completely into his roles and fully grab the viewers attention.

In my opinion Johnny Depp is arguably the only modern day actor who can stand beside the greats of yester-year. With a cinematic history which includes the likes of Cary Grant, James Stewart, Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart this is indeed a compliment of the highest order. His body of work is diverse but at times alarmingly similar.

From 21 Jump Street to Alice in Wonderland there are certain traits which make him a great actor but also a somewhat unique one. For example, he uses the Steve McQueen trick of being active in a shot, even if he is not the focus of it: he will blow his nose; play with a toy helicopter or just look bewildered, all of which helps draw the viewers attention to him in a subtle way. He showed this side early on, even in the 80s TV show 21 Jump Street. His character Tom Hanson embodies slight elements of Jack Sparrow, Sweeney Todd and Willy Wonka with his many gestures, sometimes wacky dress sense and immaculate phrasing. Hanson himself 'becomes' different characters within the show since he is an undercover cop working in high schools to bust teen drug dealers, prostitutes and sometimes even murderers.

Therefore, in my opinion Depp's best characters are:

1.)Officer Tom Hanson (from '21 Jump Street')

Hanson is a bowling geek who became a cop to be like his father who was killed in the line of duty. Hanson progresses from a nerd to a 'cool guy' in the five years the TV show ran for but never loses that 'fresh out of the academy' look. Highlights include his being sent to prison for murdering a fellow cop, being kidnapped by the first guy he busted and the famous "another slammarino for The King Pins" quote when he gets a strike at the bowling alley.

2.)Tommy McQuaid ('21 Jump Street')

One half of the McQuaid brothers (along with Peter DeLuise as Doug McQuaid) seen several times during the lifespan of 21 Jump Street, the McQuaids go undercover in high schools to bust drug dealers, wear stupid clothes and talk in unison. The denim and leather jacket combo and the white bandana are adorable. Classic comedy at it's best!

3.)Icabod Crane ('Sleepy Hollow')

A bumbling fool who manages

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