Back in 2003, the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise kicked off in extraordinary fashion. While some were rightfully wary about a movie based on an old school theme park ride, once The Curse of the Black Pearl hit theaters, everyone could tell something huge had started. Even though that initial film still ranks as the very best out of all 5 current films in the franchise, it's still hard not to get excited when we hear Jack Sparrow's due for another adventure.
While Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley all do amazing jobs with their parts, there really is no denying that Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is the star. When watching Depp in these movies, it feels as though he was always meant to be this pirate. That being said, getting Jack Sparrow to where he needed to be took a lot of work. Here are 15 savvy facts about Sparrow most fans don't know.
15 Jack's Pistol Was No Prop, But A Real Antique
While Jack wasn't able to actually use his pistol as much as he may have wanted to throughout his many adventures, the one shot he did use it for was pretty important. The pistol seen in the films wasn't a prop, but in fact a real 17th century flintlock. Talk about authenticity!
14 Legend Robert De Niro Could Have Played Jack, But He Felt The Film Was Doomed To Fail
When casting began for the franchise, a number of high profile names were tossed around for the role of Jack Sparrow. Robert De Niro being one of the more popular names for the part, filmmakers actually offered him the role. However, the Hollywood legend turned it down, believing the movie would be a dud.
13 Some Of Jack's Most Memorable Lines Came From Depp's Improvising
When Depp landed the role of Sparrow, he was already a pretty big deal in Hollywood, having had acted in huge films since his teenage years. So, when he decided to start improvising a bit, it makes sense the filmmakers let him do so. In the end, it was Depp who came up with the catchphrase Savvy?.
12 Musical Group The Lonely Island Has A Song About Sparrow
It may not have been as big of a success as their other goofy numbers, but Andy Samberg's group The Lonely Island does have a song entitled Jack Sparrow. If that wasn't already a huge honor, the song also features the one and only Michael Bolton. It doesn't get much better than that, folks.
11 Depp Had The Idea For Sparrow's Gold Teeth And He Wanted Him To Have Even More Than The Filmmakers Did
Depp knew right off the bat that he wanted Jack to have gold teeth. The look really does suit the pirate. However, the actor knew Disney's head honchos wouldn't want the character to have as many as he wanted him to have. So, he had extras installed and when his bosses told him to remove some, Depp wound up with the exact amount he had wanted in the first place!
10 The Screenwriter Drew Major Inspiration From Hugh Jackman When Creating The Character
The original screenwriter for the franchise had a very different vision when he was first putting together the character of Jack. Writer Stuart Beattie has confessed that he did not only write the character with Hugh Jackman in mind, but actually named Jack after him, too. That being said, Disney didn't think Jackman was a big enough star to cast at the time.
9 Funny-Man Jim Carrey Could Have Played Jack Sparrow, But Went For Bruce Almighty Instead
In the early stages, Disney loved the idea of Jim Carrey playing the leading role of Jack Sparrow. The legendary funny-man would have certainly brought a ton of fun faces to the character. However, the movie was set for the same year as Bruce Almighty, so Carrey went with his gut and chose that project instead.
8 In The Curse Of The Black Pearl, Depp Actually Steered The Ship Himself Even Though He Had No Preparation
According to Depp himself, when he arrived for filming he had no idea he was going to be asked to steer the ship himself. Proving once again he was born for the role, Depp handled the situation like a pro. While watching the movie, it would be impossible to tell he hadn't done it before.
7 Keith Richards Was A Major Inspiration For How Depp Portrayed Sparrow
When asked about his inspiration for Jack Sparrow, Depp confessed to having two major role models for the character. First and foremost, Depp drew inspiration from rock legend Keith Richards, explaining that he believed pirates to be the rock stars of the 18th century. Funnily enough, he also revealed he drew inspiration from the animated skunk, Pepe Le Pew.
6 Jack And Elizabeth's Romantic Scenes Rightfully Didn't Sit Well With Depp
It may not be apparent in the movie, but Keira Knightley was in fact only 17 when she was originally cast as Elizabeth Swann. So, when discussing Sparrow's attempts at romancing Swann on a DVD bonus feature, Depp revealed just how uncomfortable those scenes had made him.
5 Depp Was Tougher To Deal With Than Sparrow Himself While Filming Dead Men Tell No Tales, Thanks To Tardiness and Injuries
By the time Dead Men Tell No Tales was in production, Depp was in the middle of some hefty personal issues. A messy divorce and the round-the-clock media coverage made things extremely difficult for the film crew. The actor was reportedly late numerous times and even halted production altogether when he badly injured his finger.
4 Depp Made One Of Jacks Sparrow's Tattoos Permanent
This is not an uncommon practice for movie stars. In fact, in one specific scene, one of Bloom's tattoos is visible and it's actually an Elvish marking he got after his work on the LOTR films. After the first Pirates movie, Depp got Jack's sparrow tattoo inked for real.
3 Filmmakers Had Real Fears That Depp's Take On The Pirate Was Going To Tank The Franchise
In the early stages of filming, Disney execs became extremely worried about Depp's portrayal of the character. The now iconic voice of the pirate made Depp's bosses think he was trying to play Sparrow as a drunk. Obviously, they trusted Depp in the end, but there was a time when they considered firing instead.
2 Depp Wore Special Contacts That Allowed Sparrow To Look At The Sun While Sailing
As a pirate who is often seen steering a ship and staring out into the vast ocean, the sun was inevitably going to cause an issue. Since sporting sunglasses just wasn't going to work for the film, Depp wore special contacts instead, which allowed him to look at the sun without having to squint.
1 Jack May Be A Pillaging Pirate, But He Only Became One Due To His Disdain For The Slave Trade
While we do get tidbits on Jack's history throughout the films, most of that information is found only in the books. Jack's issue with the slave trade is brought up in the movies, though it's not everyone who realises that it was Jack's refusal to partake in trading slaves that got him branded as a pirate in the first place.