Most people know Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but he wasn’t the studio’s first choice.
Captain Jack Sparrow was famously played for years by Johnny Depp, but before he was brought on board to play the iconic pirate, there were other actors who almost performed the part, bringing an entirely different interpretation of it. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released in 2003, and it introduced fans to Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). The film is based on the Disney theme park attraction Pirates of the Caribbean, and it launched a film series.
The Curse of the Black Pearl follows Jack Sparrow and Will Turner as they work together to save Elizabeth Swann, who has been abducted by the cursed crew of the Black Pearl headed by Hector Barbossa. The film was a box-office triumph and got favorable reviews, with critics applauding the action sequences, score, and acting of Johnny Depp. The Curse of the Black Pearl was followed by four further films, all of which featured Captain Jack Sparrow.
The famous pirate has become the face of the franchise, and Depp’s unique performance is a big part of Jack Sparrow’s success, which is why it’s difficult and strange to imagine someone else playing the role – but, as with most popular characters, many other actors were considered to play this peculiar captain.
Almost Played in Pirates of the Caribbean: Jim Carrey Captain Jack Sparrow
Many well-known performers were considered for or given the role of Jack Sparrow, but due to a number of factors, their participation was not possible. To begin with, writer and co-creator Stuart Beattie developed the part with Hugh Jackman in mind, even down to the character’s first name, which is an homage to Jackman’s. Unfortunately, Disney did not believe Jackman was a big enough name to fulfill the role. The studio was subsequently interested in Matthew McConaughey because of his likeness to Burt Lancaster, who inspired the original script’s depiction of the character, but it did not work out.
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The job was subsequently offered to none other than Jim Carrey, who had to decline since the filming schedule for Pirates of the Caribbean overlapped with that of Bruce Almighty.
Other actors considered for the role of Jack Sparrow were Michael Keaton and Christopher Walken, and when the company was unclear whether to release the picture in cinemas or on DVD, Walken, Rik Mayall, and Cary Elwes were considered. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the narrative surrounding Jack Sparrow’s hiring is that Robert De Niro was given the role but rejected because he didn’t think the picture would fare well at the box office, as has happened with many other pirates films.
When he was proven wrong, he played Captain Shakespeare in Stardust, although that part didn’t go as well. Johnny Depp was seeking to produce a family film when he learned the Walt Disney Studios were planning a Pirates of the Caribbean feature in 2001, and the rest is history. The world will never know if any of the other performers could have crafted a greater, more original Jack Sparrow than Johnny Depp, but the franchise owes a lot to Depp’s portrayal.
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