In the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, Johnny Depp plays Captain Jack Sparrow, the series' witty and unpredictable pirate captain.
Sparrow first appears in 2003's "The Curse of the Black Pearl," where he is trying to reclaim the ship Black Pearl from his mutinous former first mate, Hector Barbossa. Although the character was initially conceived as a supporting figure, Depp's performance made Sparrow the franchise's breakout character and central personality.
Depp developed Sparrow as an unusual blend of influences. He drew partly on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, along with cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and Pepé Le Pew. That approach helped create Sparrow's distinctive walk, slurred delivery, eccentric gestures, and preference for clever escapes over direct confrontation.
A common mix-up is confusing Jack Sparrow with Barbossa, played by Geoffrey Rush, or Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom. Javier Bardem appears much later in the series as Captain Armando Salazar in "Dead Men Tell No Tales," not as Sparrow. Depp played Sparrow across the original film and four sequels.