Johnny Depp’s Ridiculous Idea About His ‘Pirates’ Role Almost Made the Director Paranoid About Getting Disney Onboard

Hollywood star Johnny Depp had an bizarre idea for Jack Sparrow’s nose that terrified the director before pitching it to Disney officials.

One of Disney’s greatest blockbuster franchises, Pirates of the Caribbean reminds us of the iconic Jack Sparrow, portrayed by none other than Johnny Depp. The actor has become the face of the franchise, and fans can’t imagine a sequel without him. However, many of Depp’s quirky ideas for the character, which could have added greater personality to Sparrow, did not materialize in the films.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

Disney was not convinced by many of Depp’s ideas, and even Pirates of the Caribbean veteran director Gore Verbinski was left scratching his head after he heard Depp’s revelation. The Dark Shadows actor was keen on experimenting with Jack Sparrow’s nose, hoping for it to be a central weak point for him. However, Disney dismissed it, entrusting little hope in Depp’s exaggerated portrayal.

Gore Verbinski was perplexed by Johnny Depp’s idea

Johnny Depp in Dead Man’s Chest

Ahead of filming the first installment, The Curse of the Black Pearl of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series in 2003, a bizarre idea flashed through the 60-year-old actor’s mind. Johnny Depp proposed Jack Sparrow don a blue nose, which was sewed back on his face after losing it in a sword-fight, per IMDb.

The primary idea behind it was to store the legendary pirate and trickster’s greatest fear on his nose, such that he would dread common flu or pepper in his nose. Director Gore Verbinski had anticipated such peculiar suggestions but had no clue how to approach Disney about it.

According to ScreenRant, Disney also had little faith in Depp’s version of Jack Sparrow and felt that it would never amuse fans enough. Clearly wrong on their part, 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean was the best the franchise ever had. The following sequels were failures and never equaled the enthusiasm of the original film.

Read more: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Director Rejected Heath Ledger From Lead Role Due To ‘Lord of the Rings’

Disney officials disapproved of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow

Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The one thing that crosses our mind when thinking of Jack Sparrow is his wild and dubious nature, mostly drunk, yet once the legendary farer of the Seven Seas. However, it is unlikely fans might love anyone else more than Johnny Depp in that character. In short, Depp knew what he was doing. Yet, several Disney officials were perplexed by Depp’s over-the-top portrayal. As stated by The Express, Depp recalled being asked by an executive,

“‘Is he drunk? By the way, is he gay?’ And so I actually told this woman who was the Disney-ite: ‘But didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?’ Which really made her nervous.”

A guitarist himself, Depp revealed that he was inspired by Rolling Stones’ iconic guitarist Keith Richards and Pepe le Pew, to incorporate elements into Jack Sparrow’s persona. The actor also added that the Disney officials “couldn’t stand” his version and felt he was trashing the movie. Well, the movie’s $654 million success was enough to keep them hushed.

Read more: “I prefer when studios are scared”: Amid Pirates of the Caribbean Rumors, Johnny Depp Believes A Risky Script Can Change His Answer

The actor was recently signed for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 but following Depp’s defamation trial with actress and ex-wife Amber Heard, Disney decided to sever all ties with the actor and the franchise. As of now, it remains unclear if Johnny Depp will return to the franchise or not.