Johnny Depp: “I started out secretly testing characters on (my kids) to see how their reactions would be”

Don’t give the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise an ocean burial just yet. Star Johnny Depp, who plays everybody’s favorite pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the series, said at the Cannes Film Festival that he wants to reprise his role for at least another installment.

“With Captain Jack I feel like there’s much more to be had…” said Depp after the premiere of the fourth Pirates field, On Stranger Tides, according to the New York Post. “As long as the stories, the scripts are great and you have directors like (Stranger Tides shot-caller) Rob Marshall we’ll be in good shape.”

The latest installment is preceded in the Pirates series by 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest and 2007’s At World’s End.

In making the films, Depp claims to be take inspiration from Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards (who plays Sparrow’s father), Loony Tune skunk Pepe Le Pew and his children. As long as he stays motivated by such disparate sources, there’s no telling how long his Pirates will rule the open sea.

“I started out secretly testing characters on (my kids) to see how their reactions would be,” recalled Depp. “With my daughter we’d be playing Barbies and I’d try out these voices on her and she’d just say ‘stop.’ They came to see the movie and I can tell by their reaction if I did alright. I haven’t been fired by my kids.”