Did you know that Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp once surpassed Hollywood heavyweights like Tom Hanks , Tom Cruise , and Michael Jackson for a role? Believe it or not, it was his breakout performance in Tim Burton 's 1990 gothic fantasy, Edward Scissorhands . During an untitled docuseries about Burton, Depp reportedly told director Tara Wood that Cruise "was not far away from actually playing Edward Scissorhands — true story." Depp's journey from teen idol to 'Edward Scissorhands' Before landing the role in Edward Scissorhands , Depp was known for his stint on 21 Jump Street from 1987-1990, which led to him being typecast as a teen idol.
His first step toward breaking this mold was his starring role in the 1990 cult classic Cry-Baby . However, considering Burton's growing popularity after successes like Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Beetlejuice , Depp doubted he would be cast, recalling, "He's never going to cast me when everyone in Hollywood is after the part." 'Please cancel the meeting': Depp's initial reluctance Depp confessed that he almost backed out of meeting Burton due to self-doubt, stating, "I called my agent after reading the script and said, 'Please cancel the meeting, I'm not going.
'" His agent's response was, "Are you f_ing nuts?" He continued, "It was weird because there's always that bastard in your skull that goes 'Come on, man. You're a TV actor guy.' Because at that time it was almost either-or.
" Interestingly, this performance earned Depp his first Gol.
