Depp which comes as no surprise, took on the role of the socially stunted Willy Wonka in a movie that was another commercial smash.
Depp's creepy central performance earnt him another Golden Globe nod as the movie went on to gross over $474 million at the global box office.
Two more Burton projects came in quick succession as he lent his voice to The Corpse Bride before taking on the musical Sweeney Todd.
Sweeney Todd, which was based on Stephen Sondheim musical, on paper really shouldn't have worked but Depp and Burton once again worked their magic to produce a film that topped the box office both sides of the pond.
As the murderous barber Depp found himself, once again, in contention for a Best Actor Oscar, losing out to Daniel Day Lewis for There Will Be Blood.
In the last couple of years the actor has continued to mix and match his roles finding success as gangster John Dillinger in Michael Mann's Public Enemies before stepping in for Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus before teaming up with Burton again for Alice In Wonderland.
This year he returned to the role of Captain Jack with a fourth Pirates film - On Stranger Tides.
This time around there was a new director at the helm, Rob Marshall, and while the movie split the critics it has been a resounding hit with cinema go-ers.
The film is currently the biggest grossing of 2011 and is closing in on the $1 billion mark having taken in excess of $986 million.
And, as you may expect there is plenty of work in the pipeline for the actor and he will be back on the big screen at the end of the year with The Rum Diary.
Dark Shadows and The Lone Ranger are also on the horizon.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Johnny Depp