Especially on-screen, fans have seen Johnny Depp’s face change a heck of a lot. Starting with Edward Scissorhands, and his earlier days on 21 Jump Street, he looked like an entirely different person.That wouldn’t change over the course of his career, including in the Alice in Wonderland flop.Sure, seeing the changes of appearances for the roles is obvious, however, it is a little different when actually observing the structure of his face.According to fans, in recent years, his face has gone through some major changes, especially when looking at the past when he was trying to make it in Hollywood. Observers claim that he went from a chiseled jawline to having a more square-shaped face.Just when did Johnny Depp’s face start changing, and why?Updated August 21, 2022: This article has been updated for clarity with new sources.

Johnny Depp’s Breakthrough Was 21 Jump Street

At this point, Johnny Depp was turning into a Hollywood heartthrob — and his jawline didn’t hurt matters.

As it turns out, the road to getting the gig was not an easy one. As Depp later revealed, he felt seriously ill the day of the audition, so much so that he almost skipped it completely.

“When I auditioned for 21 Jump Street, it was a last-minute thing. I had one of the worst flu that I’ve ever experienced in my life, and I was forced to go to the audition, the screen test.”

“I was broke and I was sick as a dog so I was talked into it. I went there and I signed some piece of paper. I did the screen test. The next day, I was on a plane to Vancouver,” he said.

“I guess that was my best audition.”

Depp would further reveal that he was never the biggest fan of auditions, calling them awkward. Nonetheless, it all worked out as he rose to fame with the gig.

But over time, Johnny Depp’s appearance began to change, and he wasn’t the fresh-faced new actor on the scene anymore.

Fans Noticed Johnny’s Jawline Changing

Depp had the look during his earlier days. Sure, his acting was great, but his look is what really drove his popularity. During his breakthrough days, Depp had a perfect jawline and as for his face structure, it was thin and in line with what Hollywood caters to.

However, in recent years, fans have noticed a change in his face structure.

According to Image Redefined, Depp now has a square face shape, which is different from his earlier days in the business.

Of course, there are other variables that came into play when assessing the difference in his facial structure nowadays.

Like so many Hollywood greats, Depp admitted to a long struggle with substance abuse, and that might have changed his face.

Addiction May Have Impacted Johnny’s Aging

Depp’s struggle with addiction started way back as an 11-year-old; Johnny blames a lot of it on his environment, as his mother also struggled with addiction.

“My mother used to ask me to go and get her ‘nerve pills’ and I think I was around the age of 11 that it dawned on me that ‘nerve pills’ were calming her nerves, so I brought her her nerve pills and I took one and that began [my drug use],” he said.

The problem would worsen along the way and surely, it would speed up the aging process.

“It has been well reported and I have been open about my challenges with alcoholism and addiction throughout my life,” he said in the witness statement, which was filed in December 2019.

“In fact, I started drinking and taking drugs when I was still a child. I am not in any way embarrassed to say this. However, the way in which the Defendants have sought to portray this problem is not a fair or accurate reflection of the reality of addiction.”

Obviously, his struggles with substances — as well as the stress of the spotlight and his high-profile relationship with Amber Heard — didn’t help matters.

It’s unlikely that the now-mature star will lose out on gigs because of his appearance. He has, of course, lost opportunities due to his ongoing legal battles. But for now, fans are just hoping to see him healthy and happy again, no matter what his jawline looks like.