While Johnny Depp was already an accomplished star by the time the 2000s arrived, following his critical hits with Tim Burton, it was Pirates of the Caribbean that pushed him to international stardom. Released back in 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became a huge hit, thanks to Johhny Depp and the iconic score from Klaus Badelt.
However, much of the success came as a surprise to the Sweeney Todd Star, who landed an Academy nomination for his performance, and Depp was eager to reprise the part of Jack Sparrow.
Johnny Depp Was Adamant About Getting the Sequel Running
To say that Johnny Depp‘s portrayal of Jack Sparrow is iconic would be an understatement. Considered one of the greatest cinematic characters in film history, the role deservedly earned Depp global recognition, putting his acting chops to the forefront. But the overwhelming success staggered Depp, as he went into the project with no expectations and certainly didn’t imagine landing an Oscar nomination. And considering Depp missed not being in the iconic sea boots after the first film, he was eager to get the sequel running. Per The Secret World of Johnny Depp,
“If you’re really connected with a character, you always do to some degree. You miss the guy. You miss being that person. The only thing that was in the back of my mind was the hope that there would be a sequel some day, so that I could meet him again.”
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long to incorporate braids into his hair again, as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest debuted three years later, becoming an even bigger box office hit.
Parting Ways With Jack Sparrow Was Depressing for Johnny Depp
While Johnny Depp returned for three more sequels after Dead Man’s Chest, bidding goodbye to the role after the fifth part was a difficult process for the actor. Following his dedication to Jack that he spent years perfecting, the actor fell into a pit of depression after Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ filming came to fruition. He said,
“I really loved being the character so much so that at the end of the film, when they wrapped the end of the film — and this has happened to me before — you go through a sort of a decompression, and a depression where you feel like, ‘God, I’ve just been this other guy for six months or seven months. I’ll never see him again,’”
Although reports surrounding the sixth installment in the franchise haven’t appeared quite promising in the past few years, with Depp back to acting, fans will hope he gets to play Jack Sparrow once again.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is available to stream on Disney Plus.
