‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ stars after 20 years

20 years since creating a sensation with Pirates of the Caribbean , the old cast has changed a lot. Johnny Depp has gone downhill due to a personal scandal, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley are still regularly filming and Zoe Saldana has gone from a lackluster supporting actress to one of the most popular stars on screen.

Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in the first part of Pirates of the Caribbean. DISNEY

In 2003, the first part of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series titled Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) landed on the big screen. 

“Blockbuster” directed by Gore Verbinski tells the story of Captain Jack Sparrow and blacksmith Will Turner rescuing Elizabeth Swann who was kidnapped by the pirates of the Black Pearl ship. The two encounter the villainous captain Hector Barbossa – who is trying to get the last piece of the Aztec treasure to break the curse placed on him and his accomplices for stealing it.

From a work without high expectations, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl created a box office fever with revenue of more than 654 million USD, becoming one of the most popular films of 2003 and winning 5 Oscar nomination and many important nominations and awards. 

The resounding success of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl also created a premise for Disney to produce four sequels that lasted until 2017 and earned more than 4.5 billion USD. 20 years since Pirates of the Caribbean debuted, the reputation of the old cast has changed significantly.

Johnny Depp

At the time of filming Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp was already a big name in Hollywood, but this series of films made the actor born in 1963 become one of the most successful movie stars on the commercial front. 

In the film, Depp made a strong impression on the audience through the role of Captain Jack Sparrow – an eccentric, cunning pirate but also full of arrogance and dignity. 

Jack appeared with a disheveled appearance, dark eyes that were always lethargic, an unsteady gait due to being intoxicated with alcohol, a slurred voice and clumsy gestures. DISNEY

Johnny Depp’s impressive “transformation” in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl helped the actor receive a “rain of compliments” from fans and the international public, helping the artist receive an award nomination.

Golden Award and Oscar for Best Actor. Depp also maintained a stable performance through the four sequels and became the soul of the Pirates of the Caribbean brand. DISNEY

Besides Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp continues to make a splash with the films: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, The Lone Ranger, the series Fantastic Beasts movie… In 2012, “Captain Jack” was the highest paid actor in Hollywood with a salary of up to 75 million USD.

 Along with that, Depp is one of the stars with the highest box office revenue in the world when movies in which he appears earn more than 10 billion USD. SHUTTERSTOCK

Along with his successful career, Johnny Depp’s personal life is warmly sought after by the media and the public. The actor dated many famous women, was with “French rose” Vanessa Paradis for 14 years (1998 to 2012) and had two children together. 

In 2015, Depp married Amber Heard but soon “went separate ways” after the young actress accused the actor of being violent. For many years, the couple went through a tense post-divorce battle, causing Johnny Depp’s career to plummet. In 2022, the actor won the trial against his ex-wife, their case became one of the topics of most global public interest of the year. SHUTTERSTOCK

After the noisy lawsuit, Johnny Depp tried to regain his reputation, the artist participated in music performances with Jeff Beck and enjoyed the peaceful time of the English countryside. Last May, the 60-year-old star returned to the Cannes Film Festival with the work Jeanne du Barry (France). 

While Hollywood is still “estranged” from Depp, the male artist is sought after in Europe. Recently, the audience has been constantly calling for Johnny Depp to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but this issue is still left open. INSTAGRAM NV

Orlando Bloom

During the first part of Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando Bloom made a splash with the Lord of the Rings series. Participating in the “blockbuster” is Johnny Depp, a British actor who plays Will Turner – an apprentice blacksmith whose father is a pirate. The young man falls in love with Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). In the process of rescuing his loved one, he gradually discovers his identity and the “key” to lift the curse of the Black Pearl ship. DISNEY

The role of Will Turner helps elevate Orlando Bloom’s position on the global big screen. He is also an important factor creating attraction in the next two films Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) and appeared briefly at the end. 

After Pirates of the Caribbean, Orlando Bloom continued to attract attention with The Trojan Hero, Kingdom of Heaven, The Three Musketeers (2011), Zulu… Most recently, the 46-year-old star starred in the movie Gran Turismo movie. SHUTTERSTOCK

Orlando Bloom had a 3-year marriage with supermodel Miranda Kerr and has a son named Flynn. The actor has been dating singer Katy Perry since 2016, they got engaged in 2019, welcomed daughter Daisy in August 2020 and have been together until now. SHUTTERSTOCK

Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley became famous worldwide after playing the role of Lady Elizabeth Swann – a strong, intelligent, independent-minded girl, in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 

The actress’s character impresses with her beautiful appearance and adventurous love story with Will Turner. The beauty born in 1985 continued to play alongside Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in the next two films and also appeared as a guest in the final part. DISNEY

Besides Pirates of the Caribbean, Keira Knightley also made a splash with the film Pride and Prejudice (2005) and received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Over the years, she made her mark through the works: Atonement, The Duchess, Anna Karenina, Begin Again, The Imitation Game … In early 2023, the 38-year-old star starred in the movie Boston Strangler. SHUTERSTOCK

Behind the screen, Keira Knightley has a pretty peaceful life. She married musician James Righton in 2013, they welcomed two daughters in 2015 and 2019 respectively and kept their small family away from media attention.SHUTTERSTOCK

Geoffrey Rush

The actor born in 1951 made a strong impression in the first part of Pirates of the Caribbean when he played the villain Hector Barbossa – a pirate cursed with immortality because he stole treasure and was also the captain of the Jade ship. Black Boy. This character died at the end of part 1 but was revived in the sequel and appears throughout the series. DISNEY

Before becoming known to global audiences as Hector Barbossa, Geoffrey Rush was already a successful name on stage and the big screen. He won an Oscar for his leading role in Shine (1996), resonated with Les Misérables (1998), Shakespeare in Love, Quills, The King’s Speech, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Book Thief… In recent years, the artist The veteran actor is still diligently acting in films and plays. 

For more than half a century of pursuing art, he was honored with many prestigious awards: 1 Oscar, 1 Tony, 1 Emmy, 2 Golden Globes, 4 SAG awards… Geoffrey Rush got married with actress Jane Menelaus since 1988, have two children together. AFP

Zoe Saldana

In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Zoe Saldana plays Anamaria – a female pirate who joins Will Turner’s group for the opportunity to question Jack Sparrow for stealing his boat. At the time of filming the “blockbuster” directed by Gore Verbinski, this black actress had only been active in the arts for a few years and was still a relatively unknown face to the public. DISNEY

Her role in Pirates of the Caribbean helped Zoe Saldana get closer to the global audience, but the beauty born in 1978 did not have a good experience filming. She shared with Entertainment Weekly: “It was the first time I was exposed to a major Hollywood project, where there were many actors, producers and crew members. 

We shoot in different locations and the environment is sometimes not pleasant for our shooting days. I was very young, it was a little too big for me and its speed was too fast. Overall, I really didn’t have a good experience with the movie. 

I feel like I got lost a lot in the trenches of it and I don’t feel like that’s okay.” Many years later, when she met Jerry Bruckheimer again – the film’s producer, this star received an apology and that made her extremely grateful. AFP

After Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Zoe Saldana continuously achieved success through works: Star Trek, Avatar series, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame… 2023 , she returned to the screen with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, closing out her role as Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 20 years since playing a lackluster supporting role in Pirates of the Caribbean, Zoe Saldana has become one of the highest-grossing movie actors in the world when the movies she participated in have grossed more than 14 billion. USD globally. 

The 45-year-old star is living a perfect life with artist Marco Perego Saldana (pictured), they got married in 2013 and have 3 children.