Johnny Depp remained at the top of the A-list for a long time thanks to his varied character performances, but he could have easily followed a different path if his part in Platoon hadn’t been cut back so much. Depp’s very first role in film was in the wildly successful slasher flick, A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. Considering the landscape of horror movies compared to other genre films, it was never likely that that would be the jumping off point in his career, but at least it got his foot in the door.

In the next couple of years, Depp was hired to fill a couple of small bit parts in TV and movies before landing what could have been his breakout role in Oliver Stone’s Platoon. However, his role was edited, and he became more of a background character than anything else. This may have been challenging for the young actor, but it also left the door open for his big break to come further down the line, with less conventional films and directors.

Johnny Depp’s Platoon Role Was Originally Much Larger

Most Of Depp’s Scenes In Platoon Were Cut From The Film

nitially, Depp was set to appear in several major scenes, with his character, Lerner, delivering extensive dialogue. However, when it came time to cut the film, Depp’s role was vastly reduced. Many of these longer scenes with the character, with Depp delivering far more dialogue, appear in the deleted scenes for Platoon. Had these scenes been kept in, Depp would have been seen holding his own opposite huge stars like Willem Dafoe, who was his most frequent screen partner due to the character’s role as a translator.

Imagining if these scenes were kept in, Depp would likely have been praised for his role, his line delivery, and his ability to evoke emotion and drama in his scenes. Instead, Lerner became a character whose worth was so small that they are carted away in one scene to die off-screen elsewhere with no further mention. As a result, Platoon was not the film that launched Johnny Depp’s career, but this was likely a good thing for the young actor.

Johnny Depp Getting A Bigger Role In Platoon Could’ve Changed His Entire Career

Johnny Depp Is Renowned For His Weird & Unique Roles

The reality is, when an actor excels in one style of performing, casting directors and agents are inclined to put them up for more roles that fit in that niche. Of course, there are plenty of actors who continue to appear in wildly different films and push themselves to break the mold, but when they find success in action or drama, it makes sense to keep doing those kinds of films if they keep being offered work and money. After all, they need to eat and pay bills.

If Johnny Depp had managed to maintain a larger role in Platoon, and if that movie’s success elevated his career, it’s likely he would have been offered more parts in dramatic and war films. However, just a few years later in 1990, Depp starred in Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton. This movie is completely different from Platoon, and Burton’s style and vision is very different, but there is no doubt that movies like this, and Burton in particular, have played a huge part in Depp’s career ever since.

Edward Scissorhands Is The Movie That Really Defined Depp’s Career

And Began A Long Collaboration Between Depp & Tim Burton

If Depp had moved on to playing more serious and dramatic roles, he may have been inclined to avoid a role like Edward Scissorhands because of how different it was. But, since Depp was still building a career, and had just had some success with an off-beat crime and mystery show like 21 Jump Street, Depp was ready to jump in to roles that were out of the ordinary. When Depp took on the role of Edward Scissorhands, it drastically shifted the course of his career, and saw him tackle more projects with Burton that were fearless in their uniqueness.

Platoon was not the film that launched Johnny Depp’s career, but this was likely a good thing for the young actor.

Since then, Depp has been equally fearless in creating distinct and unique characters in his work. Rather than simply trying to emulate emotional, but largely average individuals, Depp has sought to embody the extraordinary in his work, with characters that are full of life, like Captain Jack Sparrow and Sweeney Todd. Johnny Depp could have taken the safer route, and continued working in films that were similar to Platoon in tone and their message, but he chose a different path, and since then, it appears he hasn’t looked back.