John Waters' 1990 film Cry-Baby casts Johnny Depp in the lead role of Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker, whose ability to shed a single tear makes him the most attractive greaser in town. Taglines for the film said, "He's a doll. He's a dreamboat. He's a delinquent." While on the surface, the role of Cry-Baby seems to be exactly the kind of teen stereotype from which Depp was trying to separate himself, the character has some strange quirks. For starters, both of Wade's parents were sent to the electric chair.
The film is a musical, featuring several song and dance numbers. However, despite Depp's past as a guitarist, he did not do any of the vocals in the film. Instead, James Intveld was tapped to dub over Depp as he danced on screen. Depp stated in a 2008 Rolling Stone that he was reluctant to sing when he was still playing backyards in his early teen years, owing to the fact that he did not like being the center of attention.
