“Didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?” Johnny Depp Revealed Jack Sparrow Is Gay, Admitted He Did It So to Make Disney Bosses “Nervous”
Johnny Depp, an American actor, is one of the most well-known and accomplished actors in the entertainment industry. He has given memorable performances in films such as Donnie Brasco, Pirates of the Caribbean, Minamata, and Fantastic Beasts. It’s hard to imagine the Pirates of the Caribbean films without Johnny Depp, but the Disney production team wasn’t always sure the actor had what it took to play the now-famous savage pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
Why did Johnny Depp refuse to play Captain Jack Sparrow?
When Johnny Depp and Amber Heard first separated, the megastar was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife. As soon as the case became widely publicized, Disney chose to end its partnership with Depp in order to distance itself from the controversy surrounding the high-profile divorce. At the time, fans were shocked to hear that the actor would no longer be a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or the Fantastic Beasts series.
Despite Disney’s request for the Cry-Baby actor to return to the franchise, Depp allegedly declined the offer. In previous interviews, the actor has stated that Disney despises him for his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Johnny Depp recalled being disliked by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Johnny Depp was candid about how he was never the choice for Disney and that they even questioned him before the film came out. Depp stated he had overheard execs say, “They were sick of him. They simply couldn’t stand him.” The actor believes it was Disney CEO Michael Eisner who reportedly said, “He’s ruining the movie.”
In the same interview, he claimed that Disney “couldn’t stand” his portrayal of Jack Sparrow at first, with one person even questioning the cast’s sexual identity. The actor has admitted that his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow initially shocked Disney executives. He recalled the shock that studio executives felt when they discovered that Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones’ guitarist, had inspired the character of Jack Sparrow.
Johnny Depp says “all my characters are gay.”
Depp claimed that he ignored Disney’s concerns that he did not fit the role perfectly or that he could even act. He said,
“Are you going, Disney’s upper crust? What’s wrong with him? Is he, you know, like some kind of weird simpleton? Is he drunk? By the way, is he gay? … And so I actually told this woman, who was the Disneyite: ‘But didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?’ Which really made her nervous.”
Disney executives were offended by his portrayal and demanded that he stop messing around and play the scantily clad, traditionally macho pirate that they had envisioned for him.
Before Johnny Depp was cast as Captain Jack Sparrow, Jim Carrey auditioned for the franchise and was offered the role. However, the Yes Man actor turned down the offer due to a scheduling conflict with his 2003 film Bruce Almighty.
Source: Deadline
