December 1, 2010 16:45

Johnny Depp: 'Disney hated Jack Sparrow'

'Pirates Of The Caribbean' actor claims his character wasn't loved by all

Johnny Depp has claimed that his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates Of The Caribbean film series was not liked by Disney studio bosses. The actor told Vanity Fair magazine that former Disney chief executive Michael Eisner "couldn't stand" the way he interpreted the character.

Depp consequently earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the first film, 2003's Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. "I think it was Michael Eisner, the head of Disney at the time, who was quoted as saying, 'He's ruining the movie,'" he said.

He also revealed that Eisner had questioned whether he was "some kind of simpleton" or even drunk when acting in the movie.

It's well known that Depp based Jack Sparrow on The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards, who appeared in 2007's Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End, the third film in the series, playing Sparrow's father.

Depp is currently filming a fourth instalment in the series, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is due to be released on May 20 next year.