Johnny Depp rose to fame by portraying the iconic character Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He played the role in five films before declaring that he would not return. Interestingly, the original script for the first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, did not include a place for Depp.

During the early stages of production, the script underwent several rewrites. One version of the script involved a storyline where Norrington, who was in love with Elizabeth Swann, proposed to her but was rejected. Feeling enraged, he planned to join forces with Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl, and together they would attempt to take over the Caribbean.

This version of the script almost excluded Johnny Depp's character entirely.

However, the final story took a different direction. It focused on Depp's character, Jack Sparrow, teaming up with Orlando Bloom's Will Turner and Swann to rescue her after she was kidnapped by Barbossa's crew. Despite the initial doubts about Depp's casting, the movie producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, believed that the actor's edgy persona would bring a unique quality to the film.

One aspect of Depp's portrayal that worried Disney executives was his decision to cap his front teeth with gold.

In an interview, Depp admitted that Bruckheimer was slightly uncomfortable with the choice, and the Disney executives were not enthusiastic about it either. However, Depp stood by his artistic choices and urged them to trust him. Fortunately, they did, and his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow proved to be a success.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl went on to become a billion-dollar franchise, earning over $654.3 million globally. It was both a critical and commercial triumph. The film can now be enjoyed on the streaming platform Disney+.