Features
Classic Movie Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp
Only an actor as eccentrically inventive as Johnny Depp could morph Errol Flynn circa Captain Blood with Keith Richards circa Exile on Main St., and add a soupçon of swishbuckling ambiguity to his elegantly wasted mannerisms. While it’s never clear whether Jack is hero or villain, what’s certain is that despite his failings as a pirate, he thinks he’s one pretty hip buccaneer.
Defining Moment: His arrival in Port Royal in Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is marked by triumphant music and a dramatic tracking shot of Captain Jack set against an exquisite sky. As the scene continues, it’s revealed that his vessel is a decrepit dinghy, barely able to make it to the dock before sinking.