Last Updated on February 27, 2024
Who is Amber Heard?
Amber Heard is an American actress and fashion model. At 17, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, earning her first lead role in the film “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” in 2006.
In 2004, she made her first film debut in “Friday Night Lights,” and appeared in a number of successful films, including Pineapple Express, Zombieland, The Joneses, Machete Kills, Magic Mike XXL, The Danish Girl, and The Adderall Diaries.
Her role in Justice League (2017), Aquaman (2018), and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) pushed her further into the limelight, earning her appearances and lead roles in other high-grossing movies.
Amber Heard is popularly known for her involvement in activism, especially concerning LGBTQ rights. She is also an ambassador for women’s rights at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a Human Rights Champion for the Stand Up for Human Rights campaign.
Additionally, Amber is a recipient of several awards, including the Young Hollywood Award, Scream Award, Dallas International Film Festival Awards, and Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Amber Laura Heard |
Popular Name: | Amber Heard |
Gender: | Female |
Birth Date: | April 22, 1986 |
Age: | 37 years |
Parents: | Patricia Paige (mother) and David Clinton Heard (father) |
Siblings: | Whitney Heard |
Birth Place: | Austin, Texas, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | Caucasian |
Education: | Catholic High School |
Marital Status: | Divorced |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Husband/Spouse: | Johnny Depp (m. 2015; div. 2017) |
Children: | Oonagh Paige Heard |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | – $6 million |
Source of Wealth: | Acting |
Height: | 5ft8 (1.73m) |
Weight: | 56kg (123 lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
On April 22, 1986, Amber Heard was born in Austin, Texas, to Patricia Paige, an internet researcher, and David Heard, a contractor. She grew up learning to hunt, fish, and ride horses with her father.
At 16, Amber lost her best friend in a car crash, which impaired her spiritual beliefs, leading her to embrace atheism and become disenchanted with religion. A year later, Amber dropped out of the Catholic High School she was attending and moved to New York to pursue a modeling career.
She participated in several beauty pageants before moving again, but this time to L.A. to start a profession in the entertainment industry.
Her earliest appearances were in two music videos, Kenny Chesney‘s “There Goes My Life” and Eisley’s “I Wasn’t Prepared.” She made her film debut in the sports drama Friday Night Lights in 2004 and took on small supporting roles in the television series Jack & Bobby (2004), The Mountain (2004), and The O.C. (2005).
Since then, Amber has appeared, starred, and co-starred in multiple movies and T.V. shows, including Criminal Minds, Californication, Hidden Palms, The Cleveland Show, Top Gear, The Playboy Club, Overhauling, and The Stand.
In 2008, Amber Heard starred in “Pineapple Express,” alongside James Franco and Seth Rogen. She also starred in “Never Back Down,” alongside Sean Faris and Cam Gigandet.
She was the lead actress in “The Rum Diary in 2009,” starring alongside Johnny Depp, whom she later married in 2015. However, the marriage wasn’t successful, and she filed for divorce five months later.
In 2013, Amber released the thriller “Paranoia,” the action-comedy “Machete Kills,” and the satire “Syrup.” She also acted solo in “3 Days to Kill,” which was a huge commercial success.
A year later, she starred in the 2015 American drama “The Adderall Diaries.” Her other notable appearances were in films such as One More Time, Her Smell, Gully, The Stepfather, ExTerminators, and Remember The Daze.
In 2011, Heard appeared in an advertisement campaign for the fashion brand “Guess,” and worked with Amnesty International, severally accompanying their staff for research work and humanitarian missions.
Amber joined the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2016, where she first played Mera in “Justice League” and reprised her role in 2018’s Aquaman and its 2013 sequel. She later took on roles in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and will be appearing in Aquaman’s upcoming sequel- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” set to premiere in 2023.
In 2018, she joined the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and became the Artist Ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Amber also won the Hollywood Film Festival award for her role in “The Rum Diary,” and was nominated in 2019 for MTV Movie and Tv Award, Saturn Award, and Teen Choice Award.
Following her divorce from Johnny Depp, Amber pledged to donate her $7 million divorce settlement to the ACLU and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). After Johnny Depp, she dated photographer Tasya Van Ree before moving on to date tech entrepreneur and Tesla CEO and shareholder Elon Musk for a year.
In April 2021, Amber had her first child through surrogacy.
Amber Heard’s Net Worth
Starring in many blockbusters and high-grossing films earned Amber a lot of money from her acting career. Between 2013 and 2019, she reportedly earned $10 million.
She signed a 4-picture deal with Warner Brothers that paid her $450,000 for the first movie she appeared in for the studio. She was paid $1 million for her role in the first Aquaman and $2 million in the second Aquaman.
Also, Amber earned $200k per nine-episode of “The Stand,” accruing a total of $1.8 million to herself. Additionally, she signed a 2-year contract deal with L’Oreal that raked in a total of $1.625 million.
However, in 2018, Johnny Depp filed a defamation suit against Amber over an article that was published in The Washington Post, in which she described herself as a victim of abusive marriage during her time with Johnny.
After this event, Amber also filed a defamation case against Depp but lost the case and was ordered by the court to pay $10 million in damages to Johnny Depp. These negative turn-in events brought Amber’s $8 million staggering net worth down to -$6 million.
Lessons From The Life of Amber Heard
Make the Most of Today
“My best friend died in a car crash when I was 16. That was the hardest emotional blow I’ve ever had to endure. Suddenly, you realize tomorrow might not come. Now I live by the mantra, “Today is what I have.” ~Amber Heard
Following the death of her best friend in a car accident, Amber became a wreck emotionally and dumped her spiritual beliefs. Still, we see her making the most of her time, appearing and starring in multiple movies and TV series.
This is to emphasize that tomorrow is not promised. Whatever goals and desires you want to accomplish, start the work now.
When There’s a Will, There’s a Way
“If you really want to do something, you’d find a way.” ~Amber Heard
Amber has starred in movies that were commercial failures, but it didn’t stop her from appearing on our screens. Keep finding a way to spread your wings and try your hands at new things.