More of this Feature "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL" PREMIERE COVERAGE: • Keira Knightley ('Elizabeth') Special Premiere Guests: • Eric Balfour ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre") • David Moscow ("Honey") and Jonathan Lipnicki ("when Zachary Beaver Came to Town") • Kerry Washington ("The Human Stain") and Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men") MORE INFORMATION ON "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN": • "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" Premiere Photo Gallery • "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" Photo Gallery • "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" News, Trailer, and Websites • "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" Credits

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Inspired by a Disney theme park ride, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" follows the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) as he chases after Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in order to get back his stolen ship, the Black Pearl, and secure the release of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). Joining Captain Sparrow on his adventure is Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and working against the two of them and their ragtag crew is Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), who happens to be Elizabeth's fiancee.

Depp was intrigued by the role of Captain Jack when he learned he'd have the freedom to create the character from scratch. "It was a different kind of role for me. It was a great opportunity to invent this pirate from the ground up, to create a different kind of pirate than you have seen before."

Director Gore Verbinski sought out Depp because of his history of tackling quirky projects. "He's a brilliant actor. He's not out to create a fan base for himself, or to simply select work based on salary; it's clear he needs to find a role that gives back to him artistically."

Why a pirate movie now? Producer Jerry Bruckheimer explains, "I loved watching pirate pictures as a kid. 'Treasure Island,' 'Captain Blood' and 'The Black Pirate' were some of my favorites. Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks were formidable, and although their movies are still exciting and very watchable today, I thought we could add some extra pizzazz to a popular theme."

Actor Johnny Depp adds, "Isn't it every boy's dream to be a pirate and get away with basically anything? Who wouldn't want to play a pirate?"

JOHNNY DEPP ('Jack Sparrow')

It's been reported that both Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and the cartoon skunk Pepe LePew influenced your character, Captain Jack Sparrow. Why those two?
Keith has always been a great hero to me and I felt that pirates of the 18th century were sort of rock and roll stars. Who better than Keith Richards to be your inspiration? Pepe LePew - I always liked him.

What was the most difficult stunt for you to do in "Pirates?"
The sword fighting certainly was the most difficult.

Have your career choices changed since becoming a father?
To some degree but really I think I was always making choices for my kids with them in mind and hoping that they'd one day be proud of my work.

What was it like working with Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush?
Great - they are both wonderful guys, amazing actors, [each with a] terrific sense of humor. It was a ball.