In Newsweek's splashy article this week on Johnny Depp, producer Jerry bruckheimer notes that Depp's “fey” portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film had studio execs on edge.
Bruckheimer: “The studio was, like, ‘Is he gay? Is he drunk? We don't know what he's doing!' It took a little while to calm everybody down.”
Depp's take on Sparrow seemed to please director Gore Verbinski however: “You know, there's a lot of conspiring that goes on between actors and directors that I think is very healthy. You should be a little concerned as a director if you're not making the studio nervous.”
John Waters, who directed Depp in Cry-baby (1990), says it's all natural: “First of all, Johnny is a pirate in real life. It's the closest part he's ever played to his real self, but the fact that he played it kind of nelly was a big risk. If only real gay pirates were that much fun.”
A Pirate's Life [newsweek]
