Acting is an inherently creative craft and one that some people embrace both on and off-screen. One such actor is Johnny Depp, who brings his eccentric style and presence wherever he goes. One way he adds pomp and flourish to his appearances is with the famous Johnny Depp hat. In fact, it’s relatively rare to see him on a red carpet or out in public without a cap.
Mr. Depp is hat guy and these are his preferred styles and how they’ve evolved over the years.
A Beige Beret for the Mad Hatter
Johnny Depp wears a beige men’s cap at a press conference for Alice in Wonderland, 2010 (Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty Images)
Our Johnny Depp hat story begins in 2010 at a press conference for Tim Burton’s take on Alice in Wonderland. The film marked the seventh and penultimate time the duo worked together. The last time would be for Dark Shadows, which turned out to be an apt description of Depp’s personal life with now-ex-wife Amber Heard.
At the press conference, Depp wore a backward light beige men's cap. He’s worn many flat caps over the years, but he rarely wears them facing the front. This particular cap is made of thin wool . The seams create bumps that add a halo to his silhouette. The oversized cap is also quite large to accommodate Depp’s luscious locks.
A Strange Johnny Depp Hat for “Stranger Tides”
Johnny Depp wears a tattered brown fedora next to Penelope Cruz at the Cannes Film Festival, 2011 (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
One year after Wonderland, Depp returned to the world of the Pirates of the Caribbean for the fourth outing: On Stranger Tides. Here's Depp at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a tattered brown fedora beside his beautiful co-star Penelope Cruz. The actor seems to like distressed, weathered fedoras from time to time. He even wore one with a massive hole in the crown while presenting at the MTV Movie Awards back 2014.
Regardless of its condition, this fedora hat features an extra tall 4.25-inch teardrop crown with a center crease and front pinch. It also has a 3-inch brim, which he wears snapped down in the front. Depp seems to like this style, as it shows up a lot. This particular hat has a simple, matching grosgrain hat band ribbon.
A Cowboy Hat That’s Seen the Range
Johnny Depp wears a tattered cowboy hat to the Dark Shadows premiere in Japan, 2012 (Jun Sato/WireImage/Getty Images)
Tattered, distressed headwear is not just limited to fedoras. Mr. Depp seems to revel in wearing abused hats, as evidenced by his cowboy hat at the 2012 Dark Shadows premiere in Japan. The front pinch crown has a hole at the top, and instead of snapping the front down, the brim is ripped. Further completing this unique hat are two native American beaded hatbands.
This is truly a distinct look for such a distinct actor. No one can accuse Mr. Depp of plagiarizing his style from anyone else. And while hers was not quite as weathered, the JLo leather cowboy hat completed her look more recently at the Met Gala.
A Gray Homburg for Late Night
Johnny Depp wears a gray fedora with a pencil curl brim hat to the set of Late Night With David Letterman, 2013 (Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage/Getty Images)
In 2013, Mr. Depp visited the set of the Late Show with David Letterman. In this shot, he’s wearing a gray fedora with a pencil curl brim. The big difference with this hat is its extra wide brim to afford the actor a tad more privacy out and about. (beyond the lack of holes in this one).
This 3.75-inch brim is flat and has a tuft of feathers tuck beneath the hat band. The teardrop crown has the same traditional center crease and front pinch. For the uninitiated, the pencil curl is similar to the gangster hat styles worn in The Godfather.
That’s Captain Jack Sparrow to You
Johnny Depp wears a leather tricorn hat for D23 Expo, 2015 (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
It’s hard to believe these days, but there was a time when Johnny Depp was not a world-renowned movie star. Before Pirates of the Caribbean came out in 2003, Depp was known for quirky roles but never broke into the mainstream.
Now, five movies into the franchise, and it’s hard to separate the films from the man. In 2015, Depp wore his signature Captain Jack Sparrow outfit for the D23 Expo. The good captain wore a leather tricorne hat. This hat is instantly recognizable by the three-sided brim and open crown.
One interesting fact is that Depp kept losing his hat in the ocean while filming the first Pirates. So, producers switched from authentic leather to rubber.
Do They Give Out Grammys for Hats?
Johnny Depp wears a tattered cowboy hat to the Grammy Awards, 2016 (Imeh Akpanudosen/WireImage/Getty Images)
The Grammy Awards is well-known for envelope-pushing fashion and hats. So, Mr. Depp fit right in at the 58th annual ceremony in 2016. He pulled his torn-up cowboy hat out of retirement and showed it off on music’s biggest night.
This time, however, he added an orange bandana with a wooden bird figurine in the front. He also added a gold coin, presumably as a nod to his Pirates character. The hat still looked worse for wear, though.
Mr. Depp’s Feeling Blue
Johnny Depp wears a blue fedora at the San Sebastian Film Festival, 2020 (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
The year 2020 was pretty crazy, but Mr. Depp helped keep normalcy alive by wearing his signature fedora to a film premiere. In this case, the fedora was a deep royal blue with light gray edge trim on the brim. But, the design was the same as the brown one he wore to the Stranger Tides premiere at Cannes. This time, though, his mens felt hat looked brand-new. Same front pinch, flat brim, and a hatband with a bow.
A Newsboy With a Camera
Johnny Depp wears a striped newsboy hat at the BCN Film Festival, 2021 (Jordi Vidal/WireImage/Getty Images)
2021 was a huge year for the Johnny Depp hat. He wore an assortment of headpieces to various events and red carpets, so it was kind of hard to keep up. In this photo, Mr. Depp is wearing a striped newsboy hat as he snaps pictures at the BCN Film Festival.
The newsie flat cap is notable for its floppy crown and stiff front brim. This particular design is made of thick felt with a striped herringbone pattern.
Beige Fedora With a Tall Crown
Johnny Depp wears a beige fedora at the San Sebastian Film Festival, 2021 (JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images)
Johnny Depp really likes fedoras, and he wore a light beige one to the San Sebastian Film Festival. This hat seems to have a slightly taller crown but it just might be the way the top crease is off-center.
Double Duty in Rome
Johnny Depp wears a black fedora to the Puffins premiere, 2021 (Stefania M. D’Alessandro/Getty Images)
Mr. Depp was in Rome in October of 2021, and he wore two fedoras on the same day for two separate events. First, he wore a black fedora to the red carpet for the animated series Puffins. That night, he wore his dark blue fedora to the red carpet for the release of his MasterClass. In the latter case, the fedora accentuated Mr. Depp’s iconic style. It matched his oversized scarf, leather pants, and a cowboy-inspired jacket.
A Hat Fit for a Baker Boy
Johnny Depp wears a black fedora to the Puffins premiere, 2021 (Stefania M. D’Alessandro/Getty Images)
Two days after wearing back-to-back fedoras, Mr. Depp took a more relaxed approach and wore a baker boy canvas flat cap. Part newsboy, part motorcycle hat, it’s made of canvas and has a slightly different look. This cap has a stiff front visor that snaps up, a chevron-patterned hatband, and metal eyelets to vent that hat for better airflow to help him keep his cool.
Johnny Depp Hats - Final Thoughts
Johnny Depp has had a long and varied career, starting as a teenage heartthrob and becoming one of Hollywood’s leading men. The Johnny Depp hat has also had a pretty wild ride, so take a peek at how his hats have looked over the years.