The Secrets Behind Johnny Depp’s 40 Tattoos And What They Really Mean

This article was originally published on worldtravelling.com and has been republished here with permission.

Johnny Depp started his acting journey with his role in “A Nightmare on Elm Street” when he was just 19. Since then, the acting prodigy has been in leading roles everywhere. To date, his most impressive part must be Captain Jack Sparrow, and we cannot imagine “Pirates of the Caribbean” without Depp. The actor’s popularity led to a growing interest in his personal life and the many unique tattoos on his body.

Johnny has over 30 tattoos relating to his life’s ups – but also the downs; this is how he claims to have documented his life story. Here are the most famous and meaningful of his tattoos.

‘Cherokee Tribe’ Tattoo

Johnny Depp’s first tattoo was a tribute to his great-grandmother. The “Cherokee Tribe” found a place on his right arm and was said to honor his Indian lineage. In two interviews (2002 and 2011, respectively), Johnny indicated his Native American heritage. The actor said his great-grandmother grew up either Cherokee or Cherokee Indian.

According to Depp, he started getting inks when they were “forbidden” in Hollywood, close to 1983 and 1984. He was only 17, so his first tattoo came at a relatively young age. Interestingly enough, Johnny Depp was also awarded an honorary member of the Comanche Nation in 2012. He was adopted into a Native American activist’s family after learning about Depp’s indigenous roots.

Betty Sue Tattoo

On Depp’s left arm, he has a tattoo dedicated to his late mother. The tattoo shows a heart with the words “Betty Sue” written through it. Betty Sue, or Betsy Sue, was the name of the actor’s mother. On May 20, 2016, she passed away after losing the battle to an illness. However, the tattoo was done way before her passing on May 31, 1988, by a tattoo artist named Johnathan Shaw.

After his parents split, Depp spent most of his time with his mother. In an interview, he stated that his mother was “cruel” and “violent” to him during his childhood years – so much that Depp wanted to hide from her. He described her as a “Hellcat.” Depp said that although she was mean, she was hilarious, and that is how he wanted to remember her.

The Brave Movie Symbol Tattoo

The “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” star has a ton of tattoos on his arm, but the brave symbol is one of the more abstract ones. We can see this tattoo on his right arm, and he has even used the tattoo’s symbol in numerous scenes of the film “The Brave.” For those of us who don’t know, The Brave was co-written and directed by Depp himself, and was released in theaters in 1997.

Once again, Jonathan Shaw was approached for the job, and the tattoo artist did this ink in 1998. Depp briefly explained the meaning of this symbol as a big question. He wants us to always think about our actions, our current place in life, and where we want to be. Overall, this tattoo stands for exploring, questioning, and investigating life.

Three Rectangles

Not all of Johnny Depp’s tattoos are big and bold. Some are more discreet, but that does not mean they are any less special. For instance, the actor has a unique geometric tattoo on the index finger of his right hand. The tattoo is of three rectangles, and he got them around September 6 to September 13, 1994. Upon asking, Johnny Depp explained the tattoo as “permanent phone doodles.”

This is undoubtedly one of those inks where there is more than what meets the eye. The three rectangles also align with one of Depp’s faiths: 3 is a magical number. He also has a tattoo surrounding the digit three, which we will get later. From the looks of it, Depp made that term up.