Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006), and went on to star in films such as The Ward (2010), Drive Angry (2011), and London Fields (2018).
She has also had supporting roles in films including Pineapple Express (2008), Never Back Down (2008), The Joneses (2009), The Rum Diary (2011), Paranoia (2013), Machete Kills (2013), 3 Days to Kill (2014), Magic Mike XXL (2015), and The Danish Girl (2015). From 2017 to 2023, Heard played Mera in the DC Extended Universe, including the films Justice League (2017), Aquaman (2018), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). She has also acted in television series such as The CW's teen drama Hidden Palms (2007) and the Paramount+ fantasy series The Stand (2020–2021).
In 2016, Heard became a volunteer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the capacity of an ACLU Artist Ambassador, a role reserved for individuals who advocate for civil rights and civil liberties. Heard also served as a Human Rights Ambassador for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Heard was married to actor Johnny Depp from 2015 to 2017. Afterward, the pair accused each other of domestic abuse and engaged in two lengthy and high-profile defamation cases, the English Depp v. NGN trial where the court ruled that Depp engaged in domestic abuse against Heard, and the widely publicized American Depp v. Heard trial, where she was found liable for defaming Depp.
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Early life
Amber Laura Heard was born on April 22, 1986, in Austin, Texas, the middle child of three daughters of internet researcher Patricia Paige (née Parsons; 1956–2020) and construction company owner David Clinton Heard (born 1950). The family lived outside Austin. Heard's father trained horses in his free time, and she grew up riding horses, hunting, and fishing with him. She also participated in beauty pageants, although as an adult she has said that she could no longer "support the objectification". Raised Catholic, Heard began identifying as an atheist at the age of sixteen after her best friend died in a car crash. Heard has cited the works of Ayn Rand as influential to her views, having read all of Rand's books after her friend's death. The following year, no longer comfortable in "conservative, God-fearin' Texas", Heard dropped out of her Catholic high school to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. She eventually earned a diploma through a home-study course.
Career
2003–2007: Early roles
Heard's earliest acting work included appearances in two music videos, Kenny Chesney's "There Goes My Life" and Eisley's "I Wasn't Prepared", and small supporting roles in the television series Jack & Bobby (2004), The Mountain (2004), and The O.C. (2005). She made her film debut in a minor role in the sports drama Friday Night Lights (2004), followed by brief supporting roles in films Drop Dead Sexy (2005), North Country (2005), Side FX (2005), Price to Pay (2006), Alpha Dog (2006), and Spin (2007), and a guest-starring spot in an episode of the police procedural crime drama television series Criminal Minds. Heard received her first leading role in the unconventional slasher film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, but was not released in Europe until 2008 and in the US until 2013 due to distribution problems.
In 2007, Heard played the love interest of the main character in The CW's teen drama Hidden Palms, which the network aired to replace summer reruns of other series aimed at teenage audiences. That same year, Heard also appeared in the short movie Day 73 with Sarah, in the teen drama Remember the Daze, and in an episode of the Showtime series Californication.
2008–2016: Mainstream recognition
Heard gained mainstream recognition in 2008 with supporting roles in the Judd Apatow-produced stoner comedy Pineapple Express and the martial arts drama Never Back Down. She also appeared as part of an ensemble cast in an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel The Informers (2008). The following year, Heard starred in The Joneses (2009) opposite David Duchovny and Demi Moore; Variety wrote that Heard "more or less steals the show" from Moore. Outside a brief appearance in the box office hit Zombieland (2009), Heard's other films during this time were either independent films that received only limited theatrical release—ExTerminators (2009), The River Why (2010), And Soon the Darkness (2010)—or critically panned horror films—The Stepfather (2009), The Ward.
Heard's first film release in 2011 was Drive Angry, a supernatural action thriller in which she was paired with Nicolas Cage. The film underperformed commercially, but film critic Roger Ebert wrote that she "does everything that can possibly be done" with her character, a waitress who becomes entangled in an undead man's mission to save his daughter from a cult. In early 2011, Heard also appeared on the British television program Top Gear as a star in a reasonably priced car coming 33rd of 41 on their Cee'd leaderboard. Heard next starred in NBC's The Playboy Club, a crime drama series about the original Playboy Club in 1960s Chicago. After poor reviews and ratings as well as protests from both feminists and conservative groups, the series was canceled after only three episodes had aired. Heard's third role of 2011 was as the love interest of the main character, played by Johnny Depp, in the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary (2011). A commercial failure, grossing $30 million on a $45 million budget, the film received mixed reviews. In 2011, Heard appeared in an advertisement campaign for the fashion brand Guess.
Heard next starred in the thriller Paranoia (2013), the exploitation film Machete Kills (2013), and the satire Syrup (2013). That year also saw the US limited release of All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. Heard's performance in the film was deemed her "most definitive to date" by the Los Angeles Times and "psychologically interesting" by The Washington Post. In 2014, Heard appeared in a supporting role in the action-thriller 3 Days to Kill.
In 2015, Heard had a prominent role in the comedy-drama Magic Mike XXL, playing the love interest of the film's protagonist, Channing Tatum. Heard also had a small supporting role in Tom Hooper's period drama The Danish Girl (2015), and a starring role opposite James Franco and Ed Harris in the independent crime thriller The Adderall Diaries (2015). IndieWire stated that although Heard was "miscast" in The Adderrall Diaries, she "displays much potential and has succeeded in a bid to be taken more seriously". Her fourth role in 2015 was opposite Christopher Walken in the television film One More Time, which aired on Starz. For her role as a struggling singer-songwriter, she took singing lessons and learned to play piano and guitar. The Los Angeles Times called her performance "superb" and The Film Stage stated that Heard did an "admirable job". Heard also appeared in a November 2015 episode of the American automotive reality series Overhaulin', in which her Mustang received a makeover. It also featured the cast pranking Heard at the behest of Depp.
2017–present: DC Extended Universe and other projects
In 2017, Heard appeared as part of an ensemble cast in Lake Bell's indie comedy I Do... Until I Don't and joined the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) cast as Mera, a princess of an Atlantean kingdom, in the superhero film Justice League. She reprised the role the following year in Aquaman, which co-starred Jason Momoa and marked Heard's first major role in a studio film. She cited Mera's trait of being "a strong, independent, self-possessed superhero in her own right" as one of the reasons for her attraction to the role as well as Mera's rejection of being called Aquawoman instead of by her own name. Aquaman received mixed reviews. It was a commercial success, grossing over $1 billion. The Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips and The Independent's Geoffrey Macnab respectively noted that Heard "lends a blasé air of early '50s B-movie cheese" and that she "camps it up entertainingly" as Mera. That same year, Heard was appointed global ambassador for cosmetics brand L'Oréal Paris.
In 2019, Heard had supporting roles in the independent dramas Her Smell and Gully. Her only project released in 2020 was The Stand, a miniseries based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. She played Nadine Cross, a school teacher who is among the few survivors of an apocalyptic plague. It premiered on CBS All Access in December 2020, with the series finale airing in February 2021. In 2021, Heard reprised her role as Mera in the superhero film Zack Snyder's Justice League, a director's cut of the 2017 film, for which she had also filmed new scenes.
Heard reprised her Mera role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), a sequel to Aquaman. An online petition to remove Heard from the film began following her ex-husband Depp's loss in his UK libel case and his replacement in the Fantastic Beasts films in 2020. Heard described the campaign as "paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media", and the film's co-producer, Peter Safran, confirmed that Heard would appear in the sequel. By the start of the 2022 Depp v. Heard trial in the US, the petition had reached 2 million signatures. Heard stated that she "'fought really hard to stay in the movie' but that 'they didn't want to include me in the film' and only shot a 'very pared-down version' of her part". Walter Hamada, a former DC Studios president, and James Wan, the film's director, attributed the reduction of Heard's role to the sequel's intention to focus on the relationship between Momoa and Patrick Wilson's characters.
Activism
Heard traveled to the Mexico–United States border with Amnesty International and worked with the organization on a bilingual campaign to raise awareness about US immigration policies. She supported the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' Stand Up for Human Rights campaign. Heard was one of the speakers at the United Nations' 9th Annual Social Good Summit in September 2018. In her talk, she highlighted the centrality of humans and significance of fairness and justice, as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the declaration's drafting, Heard gave a speech at HagueTalks' Imagine the World We Want event in October 2018.
In April 2018, Heard joined the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) on a multi-specialty medical mission to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan as a goodwill ambassador. She then partnered with SAMS to help finance treatment for children in the camp with thalassemia. In November 2018, she visited Smile Train's programs in Mexico, during which she met with children with cleft lip and cleft palate, their families, and doctors. In February 2019, Heard joined SAMS' mission to Lebanon to help Syrian refugees living in poverty, during which she visited informal settlements in Beqaa Valley. She also partnered with SAMS in raising funds for psychosocial and educational programs and vocational training for the women and children in these settlements.
In November 2016, Heard appeared in a public service announcement (PSA) on domestic violence for the #GirlGaze Project. In the PSA, she spoke about the importance of making it easier for violence against women (VAW) survivors to come forward and self-advocate. She also highlighted the importance of taking responsibility for how VAW is handled and discussed in society. In a letter published in the December 2016 issue of Porter magazine, she spoke to "every woman who is suffering in silence", assuring them that they "may not see us, but we are there. Your sisters are everywhere... and we are with you."
During The Economist's Pride and Prejudice event in March 2017, Heard highlighted the underrepresentation of LGBTQ characters in the Hollywood film industry. Referencing her own coming out story, she praised actresses that are candid about their sexuality and encouraged men in the industry to help "challenge the status quo". In August 2017, Heard produced a short video for the publication, in which she spoke about the gender pay gap and underrepresentation of women in the industry. In 2018, Heard became an ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), aiding the organization's advocacy for justice in gender issues.
Personal life
Heard publicly came out in 2010, but has stated, "I don't label myself one way or another – I have had successful relationships with men and now a woman. I love who I love; it's the person that matters."
Heard was in a relationship with painter and photographer Tasya van Ree from 2008 to 2012. Heard legally adopted the surname van Ree during their relationship and reverted to her birth surname in 2014. In 2009, Heard was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Washington, after allegedly hitting van Ree. Heard appeared the next day in King County District Court, Seattle but was not charged. The arrest was made public in 2016 during Heard's divorce proceedings from actor, musician, and filmmaker Johnny Depp. A statement was then issued by Heard's publicist in which van Ree said that Heard had been "wrongfully" accused and that the incident had been "misinterpreted and over-sensationalized", while also recalling "hints of misogynistic attitudes toward us which later appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were domestic partners and not just 'friends'" and adding that she and Heard "shared 5 wonderful years together and remain close to this day".
Heard was one of the victims of the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak, in which "more than 50 of [her] personal photos were stolen and released to the public" with Heard later both speaking and writing against such breaches of privacy.
Following her divorce from Johnny Depp, Heard dated businessman and Tesla CEO and its largest shareholder Elon Musk for a year, until early 2018. She later had a relationship with actress and cinematographer Bianca Butti from January 2020 to December 2021.
In April 2021, Heard had her first child, a daughter, via surrogacy. In December 2024, Heard announced that she was expecting her second child. On May 11, 2025, Heard announced the arrival of twins, a daughter and son. As of 2026, Heard lives in Madrid, Spain.
Relationship with Johnny Depp
Heard first met actor Johnny Depp in 2009 when she was cast in The Rum Diary opposite him. According to reports, the couple began dating in 2012 and were married in a civil ceremony in February 2015.
In April 2015, Heard and Depp breached Australia's biosecurity laws when they failed to declare in customs the two dogs accompanying them when they flew into Queensland, where Depp was working on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. In May 2015, the dogs were flown out of the country hours before a euthanasia deadline. Later in July of the same year, only Heard was charged for this breach in the laws.
By December 2015, the case had been adjourned four times with Heard having instructed her lawyers to enter not guilty pleas and stating that she was "looking forward" to fighting the charges. In the court case in April 2016, Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, stating that she had made a mistake due to sleep deprivation. While criminal charges were dropped, she was placed on a A$1,000 (US$752) one-month good behaviour bond for producing a false document; Heard and Depp released a video apologizing for their behavior and urging others to adhere to biosecurity laws.
Heard filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016 and obtained a temporary restraining order against him, releasing a statement saying that, "During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me. I endured excessive emotional, verbal and physical abuse from Johnny, which has included angry, hostile, humiliating and threatening assaults to me whenever I questioned his authority or disagreed with him." She requested $50,000 a month "as and for pendente lite spousal support based on [their] marital lifestyle". In response, Depp's counsel said "Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse", but agreed with her request for a restraining order, saying Depp "nonetheless has every intention of staying away from Amber and will stipulate to mutual stay-away and personal conduct orders".
A settlement amount for the divorce was arrived at in August 2016, and Heard pledged to donate the proceeds equally between the ACLU and CHLA. She dropped her request for a continued restraining order and she and Depp issued a joint statement saying that their "relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm."
