The Academy Awards are around the corner and several fumbles, snubs, and outrages are expected. The Oscars are known for shocking moments and snubs, with controversial nominations already being talked about and voters regretting previous decisions. However, one fumble that the Academy must not do is to ignore Johnny Depp.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star has been nominated thrice in his career but has never won the coveted trophy. He has been one of the most versatile actors in the business and the Academy has barely recognized his talents. His controversy with ex-wife Amber Heard may make him an industry or awards pariah but that would be a huge mistake.

Johnny Depp losing an honorary Academy Award due to Amber Heard will be a tragedy

Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Credits: DreamWorks/Paramount

The Oscars have a reputation for snubbing deserving actors and technicians many times. This year, despite the film being nominated for Best Picture, the Academy received flack for snubbing Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve as a Best Director nominee. Two years ago, the decision to award Jamie Lee Curtis instead of Angela Bassett was criticized.

Johnny Depp has already been snubbed thrice in the Best Actor category despite nominations and it might be hard for him to make an incredible comeback anytime soon. The actor’s image took a toll when he was accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife Amber Heard, which reportedly made him an industry pariah.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary | Credits: FilmDistrict

The subsequent trial and its ramifications have made Depp a risky choice for any prestigious award show to honor him. The San Sebastian Film Festival received extreme backlash in 2021 when they honored him with an award (via DW). However, that was still in the middle of his Heard saga and he seems to be on the road to redemption now.

His filmography boasts several incredible performances and not giving him atleast an honorary Oscars now would be a major fumble. There definitely will be naysayers but the man’s contribution has been immense. He also has received a clean chit from the courts (via BBC).

While the Amber Heard trial definitely made him an industry pariah, with even his biggest Pirates franchise seemingly disowning him, Depp has been charting a comeback with the upcoming Day Drinker. Hopefully, it will be a proper career bounce-back for the actor.

Johnny Depp claimed that he never wanted to win the Oscar

Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

Of course, while we hope that an actor like Johnny Depp is celebrated by the Academy, the actor himself seems to be uninterested in the awards game and even said that he would rather not win it. Depp has been nominated thrice before, once for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Neverland, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Depp mentioned that while being nominated was enough, he mentioned that he did not want to win because he was not in competition with anyone and did not want to be in that space. He said (via Vanity Fair),

I don’t want to win one of those things ever, you know. I don’t want to have to talk. The idea of winning means that you’re in competition with someone and I’m not in competition with anybody. They gave me one of those things, like a nomination, two or three times. A nomination is plenty…I just stick to my guns and do what I want to do.

Depp’s dear friend Joaquin Phoenix, who finally won the award for Joker had previously condemned the Academy for creating a competitive atmosphere and called it ‘utter bullsh*t’.