Which movie star was in the Fox TV show "21 Jump Street"?

Johnny Depp was the movie star who appeared in Fox’s television series “21 Jump Street.” The crime drama premiered in 1987 and followed young-looking police officers working undercover in schools and among teenagers.

Depp played Officer Tom Hanson, one of the show’s central undercover detectives. The role made him a recognizable television actor before his film career became dominant. He remained with the series through its first four seasons, leaving in 1990 after his growing dissatisfaction with the show’s teen-idol image.

A common mix-up is confusing the television series with the 2012 film adaptation, which starred Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Depp made a cameo in that movie as Tom Hanson, preserving the connection to the original series. His later film work included “Edward Scissorhands,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and “Sweeney Todd.”