Ko te kiriata tuatahi a Depp i roto i te kiriata whakamataku A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), i reira i takaro ai ia i te hoa rangatira o te wahine rangatira a Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) me tetahi o nga patunga a Freddy Krueger. I muri i te mahi nui i roto i te whakaari a Private Resort (1985), i whakawhiwhia a Depp ki te mahi matua o te whakaari taraiwa o Thrashin'(1986) na te kaiwhakahaere o te kiriata, engari i whakakahoretia e tana kaiwhakanao i muri mai. Engari, i puta mai a Depp i roto i tetahi waahanga iti hei tautoko i te korero Vietnamese i te whakaari a Oliver Stone mo te Pakanga Vietnam Platoon (1986).
He Moemoea Kino i runga i Elm Street