21 Jump Street Jumps to the Big Screen—What Have the Original Cast Members Been up To?
Although the big-screen version 21 Jump Street (and sequel 22 Jump Street) is going for comedy, the original Fox series was more dramatic. If you've forgotten, or never saw it, you can watch the original 21 Jump Street online for free via Hulu. It's all very '80s—the clothes, the hair, the drug dealers that look like extras from a Michael Jackson video. The show, which debuted 27 years ago as the first hour-long series on the fledgling Fox Network, comes across as a mixture of after-school special, music video, and character-driven drama, with plenty of mild humor thrown in. We all know what happened to some of the original Jump Street cast, such as Holly Robinson Peete, and Mr. Johnny Depp. But what about the rest of the squad? Read on to find out! By Brett SingerMr. Depp had a lead role in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), but 21 Jump Street brought him worldwide stardom. After leaving the show in 1990, he hit the big screen in a big way, playing the title role in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990), trading in his matinee-idol good looks for a pair of hands with tremendous topiary talents. Many successful collaborations with Burton followed, most recently Sweeney Todd (2007) and Alice in Wonderland (2010). His wacky take on Captain Jack Sparrow helped turn Pirates of the Caribbean into a billion-dollar movie franchise. Depp lent his voice to the Oscar-winning animated feature Rango (2011) and has an uncredited cameo in the 21 Jump Street movie.