Amber Laura Heard was born in Austin, Texas, to Patricia Paige Heard (née Parsons),an internet researcher, and David C. Heard (David Clinton Heard),a contractor, possessing a rich ancestry of English, Irish, Scottish, German, and Welsh heritage.
Her early film credits include appearances in Academy Award-nominated North Country (2005),Syrup (2013),Drive Angry (2011) 3D, The Joneses (2009),Never Back Down (2008),Alpha Dog (2006),and Friday Night Lights (2004). She also had notable roles on television, starring in The CW drama Hidden Palms (2007) and guest-starring on Showtime's Californication (2007) and CBS's Criminal Minds (2005).
In 2009, Heard's breakout role came in the box office hit Zombieland (2009),alongside Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, and Jesse Eisenberg. She also starred in the suspense thriller The Stepfather (2009),alongside Sela Ward, Dylan Walsh, and Penn Badgley. Her performance in the comedic hit Pineapple Express (2008),alongside Seth Rogen and James Franco, garnered her a 2008 Young Hollywood Award for her breakthrough performance.
Heard's subsequent roles include appearances in The Rum Diary (2011),opposite Johnny Depp, and John Carpenter's The Ward (2010),which premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. She also starred in the independent film And Soon the Darkness (2010),in which she served as a co-producer.
In 2013, Heard starred in Paranoia (2013),opposite Harrison Ford, Liam Hemsworth, and Gary Oldman, and Machete Kills (2013),released by Open Road Films on March 4, 2013. She also appeared in McG's 3 Days to Kill (2014),opposite Kevin Costner and Hailee Steinfeld, which was released in 2014.
Additionally, her film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006),which premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, was released by The Weinstein Co. in theaters in the fall of 2013.
Heard resides in Los Angeles, where she is actively involved with Amnesty International. She was married to actor Johnny Depp from 2015 to 2017.
