Amber Heard made her debut in the 2004 American sports drama film āFriday Night Lightsā directed by Peter Berg. The film opened to positive reviews and was a box office success. Following her debut, she went on to star in films like āDrop Dead Sexyā (2005), āNorth Countryā (2005), āAlpha Dogā (2006), āAll the Boys Love Mandy Laneā (2006), āSpinā (2007), and āRemember the Dazeā (2007). In 2008, she starred as āBaja Millerā in the American martial arts film āNever Back Downā directed by Jeff Wadlow. Even though the film saw negative reviews upon release, it managed to come out as a financial success. That same year, she also appeared in the American stoner comedy film āPineapple Expressā where she played the role of āAngie Anderson.ā The film received a positive response from critics and was a major box office success, grossing over $102.4 million on a budget of $26 million. The following year, she joined the cast of the American zombie comedy film āZombielandā directed by Ruben Fleischer. The film earned praise from critics and did decent business at the box office.
The year 2010 saw the release of the American supernatural psychological horror film āThe Wardā directed by John Carpenter. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. In 2011, she starred as āPiperā in the American action horror film āDrive Angryā directed by Patrick Lussier. The film was a box office disappointment despite opening to mixed reviews. She next appeared in films like āThe Rum Diaryā (2011), āSyrupā (2013), āParanoiaā (2013), āMachete Killsā (2013), ā3 Days to Killā (2014), āThe Adderall Diariesā (2015), āOne More Timeā (2015), and āMagic Mike XXLā (2015). She portrayed āUlla Paulsonā in the 2015 biographical romantic drama film āThe Danish Girlā directed by Tom Hooper. The film received mostly positive reviews and was a major financial success. In 2017, she starred as āMeraā in the American superhero film āJustice Leagueā directed by Zack Snyder. Despite opening to mixed reviews, the film tanked at the box office.Ā
Heard reprised her role as āMeraā in the 2018 American superhero film āAquamanā directed by James Wan. The film earned praise from critics and was a massive box office success, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2018. In 2021, she again returned to play āMeraā in the 2021 director's cut of the 2017 American superhero film āJustice League.ā Heard is all set to appear in the upcoming American superhero film āAquaman and the Lost Kingdomā directed by James Wan.