Johnny Depp has portrayed some unforgettable and eccentric characters throughout his decades-long career. But undoubtedly, nothing compares to his appearance in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Turning into a global icon as Jack Sparrow, the actor delivered a riveting performance.
However, his appearance as the renowned character came with a shocking transformation on Depp’s end. Pushing his limits for Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp executed his bold vision for the character. Although the studio heads initially hesitated, the actor’s stubbornness eventually forced them to agree.
Johnny Depp Created His Unhinged Version Of Jack Sparrow
Often known for his flawless performance and absolute commitment to bringing out his characters with authenticity, Johnny Depp once pushed his boundaries excessively, for Pirates of the Caribbean. Appearing in the renowned franchise as Captain Jack Sparrow, the actor initially negotiated with the studio heads for his own unhinged version.
Hellbent on transforming himself for the role, Johnny Depp initially faced a lot of opposition from Disney’s exes. However, he eventually executed his bold vision for Jack Sparrow, by hook or by crook. Thereafter, crafting his own version, the actor ended up putting his mind and body through extreme trouble, in order to achieve the transformation.
“This sounds weird, but Captain Jack was born in a sauna… I figured this guy has been on the high seas for the majority of his life and therefore has dealt with inescapable heat to the brain. So I cranked the sauna up to about 1000 degrees and sat in there as long as I could until it started to affect me mentally.”
The actor disclosed his initial steps to his transformation, during an interview with Collider. Trying to bring out the authentic character, Depp mentioned putting himself through different painful situations. But certainly, his ideas worked wonders and put magic in Disney’s original version of Jack Sparrow.
Johnny Depp Was Hellbent To Transform For His Disney Role
But the sauna wasn’t all that Johnny Depp put his body through, to get into his character. Evidently, the actor made some damaging changes to his body that almost affect him to this day. In Depp’s interview with the LA Times, he mentioned how he even went through a dental transformation for his character. Apparently, the actor installed gold and platinum veneers on his teeth.
“[Producer Jerry Bruckheimer] was slightly uncomfortable and the Disney executives weren’t exactly enthusiastic about it. I said, ‘Look, these are the choices I made. You know my work. So either trust me, or give me the boot.’ And luckily, they didn’t.”
Although his transformation eventually paid off, as Jack Sparrow turned into one of the most renowned Disney characters, Johnny Depp went through some issues later on. While attempting to extract the veneers from his teeth, Depp had to encounter intense and painful methods.
“They bond these things onto my own choppers and the process of taking them off can be ugly. Sometimes it just comes off, shoots off and other times you have to really address the issue more intensely.”
Nonetheless, Johnny Depp’s negotiation worked miracles on his character, irrespective of what he went through, later on.
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean on Disney+.
