Johnny Depp has explained how he “sponged” off Keith Richards to create his Pirates Of The Caribbean character.



The actor, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow in the long-running Disney franchise, famously used a combination of The Rolling Stones‘ guitarist and cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew as the inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow.

In London for the premiere of the new film On Stranger Tides yesterday (May 12), Depp revealed how he was initially nervous of Richards‘ reaction.

He said: “It was very strange initially you know when the character’s main ingredients came up. I was a little worried at what Keith Richards was gonna think. I didn’t fear Pepe Le Pew but I was a little worried about Keith. Because for a good portion of the time I was spending with him, I was sponging as much of him as I possibly could for the character. And when he found out what I’d been doing, it could’ve gone either way, but he was very nice about it, like ‘I had no idea mate!’ He was very sweet about it.”


Richards has gone on to appear in the Pirates movies himself, joining the cast as Sparrow‘s father, Captain Teague. He reprises the role in the new film.

Depp expressed his delight, saying: “To be able to then bring him into the fold and bring him into the film and do scenes with him was amazing. It’s one of those things you know has been seared into your brain and will never leave. It’s one of those moments: ‘I’m really lucky to be here at this moment, and I’m really lucky that I’m aware that I’m lucky.”

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is released in the UK on June 18.

