Johnny Depp is probably one of the most prolific and diverse actors in Hollywood today, but there is one role that has become the epitome of who Depp is — Captain Jack Sparrow. Since 2003, Depp has played the charismatic yet intriguing pirate in the film series, Pirates of the Caribbean. The movie follows the journey of Sparrow, who seems to stump even the most sinister of villains with his wit and enduring attitude.
It’s no surprise that Depp could relate to the Pirate Lord since he’s been playing him for quite some time. It is surprising, however, that Depp has only sat through one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Johnny Depp’s Thoughts On Being A Pirate
During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, DeGeneres asked Depp if it was true that he didn’t watch the entire first film in the Pirates of the Carribean series. The actor confirmed that rumor was indeed a fact. “I saw part of maybe, maybe the first one. I ran out anyway, it doesn’t matter. Ran out like a scared rat,” Depp laughed.
The actor was on the show to promote the fifth movie in the series, Dead Men Tell No Tales and explained why it was the only one he watched. “This one I did see. It’s the fifth one, I thought, if this is the [last one], I want to make sure we’re delivering what we need to deliver to the people, because the people, you guys are the ones who went and saw the thing three, four, five times. You deserve to not be spoon-fed formula. I tried to up the stakes a little with some of the jokes,” the actor elaborated.
DeGeneres then asked the actor, “”And you’re happy with it, right? You should be!” Johnny Depp responded with a delayed, “…yeah, yeah yeah,” after pausing for a moment. “I can’t assume for myself. If you’re not in it, you should see it,” Depp stated before cracking a smile.
Captain Sparrow Forever?
Due to the success of the first film, the swashbuckler series has produced five films in total, with Johnny Depp at the helm of each of them. The actor was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal in the first film, plus several other accolades. When it came to the creation of the character, Depp revealed in a separate interview that his interpretation of the ambitious Captain was entirely different from what Disney originally wanted.
Depp claims that while thinking about the character in a sauna, he came up with his own version. “I felt that when he was on the ship he would be fine as the ship would be bounding away. He would have sea legs, but when he gets on land he cannot get land legs. He would be looking wobbly and Disney disagreed,” Johnny Depp divulged. Here’s to hoping that he never gets tired of using those sea legs!