Johnny Depp is Jack Sparrow, there is no doubt about it. The actor has been known to immerse himself in his roles, but when it came to portraying the iconic pirate, it seemed to have come effortlessly to him.
Depp made his debut as the lovable pirate in 2003, in Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This was the first film in the series, which spawned four sequels. Captain Jack Sparrow was a standout character and his antics caught audiences’ attention and hearts. While many were entranced by his performance, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the actor improvised most of his lines.
The Sweeney Todd actor revealed in an interview that he’d come up with lines for the iconic character on his own. “A line will just come to me, and I’ll incorporate it into the thing and obviously run it by [the writers and director] and the other actors certainly.” That wasn’t always the case, however. Showing a bit of a mischievous streak, Depp also admitted that he also had a good time surprising the cast and crew on the spot, explaining, “People panic for a second, and that kind of panic is fun and I think important, good for you.”
Johnny Depp’s Eccentric Persona
The actor revealed in a separate interview that he loves to portray the infamous pirate because Captain Jack Sparrow is able to say anything. Depp revealed in an interview with Men’s Health that while he and Captain Jack were both “cheeky,” the man behind the character was really “very shy.” “When I play Captain Jack there is rarely a time when I am not smiling, just being him makes me smile. He can do anything, say anything… ‘Hello love!’ As cheeky as can be,” Depp said. It isn’t hard to see why the actor enjoys portraying Sparrow so much.
Depp has made headlines throughout the years for questionable and eccentric behavior. Due to this, Depp was the subject of various tabloids, though the stories turned out to be fabricated. In December 2019, the Globe published an article claiming Depp wouldn’t live past Christmas. The tabloid reported that friends close to Depp feared the actor would be dead by the holidays. Gossip Cop checked in with an individual close to Depp, who assured no one in his circle was worried about his health. In the end, Depp survived Christmas, which proved we were right to doubt that trashy tabloid.