The fact that Johnny Depp became such a heartthrob thanks to the television series 21 Jump Street begs the question: why did he wish to quit the program after it had only aired for 2 seasons?
Even though Johnny Depp is famous for a wide range of roles in films at this point, he first rose to prominence for his part as Officer Tom Hanson in the television series 21 Jump Street.
So, why did Johnny Depp want to leave 21 Jump Street? The actor, who at the time found tremendous annoyance in his role as a teen idol, was said to have wrecked his trailer in an attempt to break away from the “one-dimensional” persona he often portrayed,
The television series that ran from 1987 to 1991 was about two undercover police agents who could pose as high school students.
As a result of their young look, they were able to investigate serious crimes in areas where teens congregated, such as high schools and universities, and this eventually led to the creation of a film series.
Depp was not a fan of the extra exposure he got as a result of his appearance on 21 Jump Street, regardless of the fact that the program was the catalyst for the commencement of his acting career.
Even though he did get a salary of approximately $45,000 for each episode (according to Johnny Depp: A Biography), he began seeking a sense out of the series rather early on in its run.
Following a series of unsuccessful efforts to get dismissed, Depp departed the company in 1990. Why would he choose to quit working on what was consistently ranked as one of the most successful series on television?
Who Was 21 Jump Street’s Officer Tom Hanson, and What Was His Role?
Tom Hanson was able to achieve his goal of being a police officer due to the fact that he had a difficult time with both in high school and at the police academy.
Just after the death of Tom’s father, who was also a police officer, Tom was motivated to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the department.
He desired to get justice for the loss of his father and to assist people who were in trouble.
In Season 2, Episode 16 titled “Orpheus 3.3,” Tom, a young policeman, was there when his girlfriend Amy Pearson was fatally shot by an armed robber during a retail robbery.
As if Tom’s loss of his father wasn’t traumatic enough, the young officer also saw the murder of Amy Pearson.
During Tom’s participation in the Jump Street project, things did not proceed as planned.
If it hadn’t been for his irresponsible conduct, his sergeant Judy Hoffs, who obviously didn’t look for him, would have been the one to demote him to the file staff and force him to lose his position.
During his time on 21 Jump Street, Tom nearly gave up on becoming a police officer due to the difficulties he faced.
The number of tasks he received continued to decrease during Season 3 until he suddenly disappeared without a clue at the end of Season 4.
What Caused Johnny Depp to Quit 21 Jump Street?
Johnny Depp, considering the popularity of the program, had lost passion for 21 Jump Street by the moment production of the third season started.
In a conversation that took place in 1989 with The Insider, the actor described the season as being like “an action-packed can of soup.”
When having a conversation with director Tim Burton, whom he subsequently worked with on the development of Edward Scissorhands after Tom Cruise quit the film, Depp was very passionate about leaving 21 Jump Street in order to broaden his artistic horizons and pursue other projects.
Depp was so adamant about quitting that he made numerous attempts to get himself dismissed from the role he was playing. Based to The Telegraph, Depp deliberately damaged his trailer in order to be released from his contract.
However, Depp did repeat his part as Tom Hanson in the namesake film adaption that was released in 2012, albeit he did so while wearing a mask that Brie Larson was unable to identify him in.
Peter DeLuise, whose role Doug Penhall had his background retconned, featured in the same scene as Johnny Depp as Depp’s co-star in 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp.
It was discovered in the film that Tom had moved to the DEA, which meant that the mystery surrounding his disappearance in the series was explained.
Due to the fact that the actor did not reappear for the movie 22 Jump Street, the notion of a crossover was discarded.
After all, following so many years, viewers of the television series were eventually given some insight into what became Tom.
Conclusion
Johnny Depp is an amazing actor, and seeing him in 21 Jump Street makes the movie much more interesting and fun to watch.
