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Pirates of the Caribbean: 6 Actors Almost Cast in the Franchise

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Pirates of the Caribbean is a fantasy genre film that not only takes its viewers on an exciting sea voyage, but also makes an effort to introduce the audiences to the mystics of the ocean and the life of pirates. At the center of this masterpiece franchise is the witty and cunning swashbuckling character of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Sparrow is portrayed as a character of infinite influence and an expert who indeed steals the limelight in every scene he’s in. Naturally, Jack is arguably the main reason why audiences love this five-part franchise so much. That said, Pirates of the Caribbean also introduces several other lovable and memorable characters like Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), and many more.

Though the cast in this franchise may seem near-perfect, fans of Pirates of the Caribbean will be surprised to know that these actors were never the first intended choice for the characters they ended up playing. In light of hope for a Pirates of the Caribbean 6, as reported by Cinema Blend, here’s a look at six actors who were almost cast in the franchise.

6/6Jude Law

Mirage Enterprises

Will Turner provided the romantic edge to the overall action and fantasy of Pirates of the Caribbean. And undoubtedly, Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom did an impeccable job of portraying the character of blacksmith-turned-swordsman-turned-pirate. However, Jude Law was the first choice for Will Turner. Law’s performance in The Talented Mr. Ripley put him in major contention, however, it was Bloom’s turn as Legolas in Lord of the Rings that won casting directors over. That said, this rejection had a silver lining for Law, who went on to join films like Alfie, Closer, and Repo Men, among many others.

5/6Matthew McConaughey

Lionsgate

It’s true that Depp is Jack Sparrow, and no one could ever play him the way he does. However, during development of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlMatthew McConaughey was one of the big names swirling the role. Per The Things, Disney was initially interested in casting McConaughey due to his resemblance to actor Burt Lancaster, who played the role of Capt. Vallo in the 1952 classic pirate movie The Crimson Pirate.

4/6Richard E. Grant

Marvel Studios / Disney

Richard E. Grant, known for his titular role in 1982’s Withnail and I, was the first casting choice for the character of Davy Jones. However, Grant was not the only name pitched for this role. Actors like Jim Broadbent and Christopher Walken were other contenders for the character. Nonetheless, Bill Nighy ended up playing the gnarly sea monster in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which turned out for the best. All worked out for Grant, of course; in terms of Disney franchises, the actor went on to star in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the Disney+ MCU series Loki (season 1).

3/6Megan Fox

Paramount Pictures

Syrena is introduced as a mermaid of unfathomable importance in the plot of the fourth installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The character, as we know, was ultimately portrayed by Astrid Berges-Frisbey, but before she was cast, Megan Fox was in major contention. Fox, who was riding massively high on the fame of her character Mikaela in the Transformers franchise at the time of casting, made several public statements about her prospective role in the Pirates franchise, essentially expressing her interesting in joining the blockbuster series.

2/6Ricky Gervais

NBC

The Office‘s Ricky Gervais could have easily been part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but funnily enough, he rejected the role, saying to Entertainment Weekly (via TrekMovie), “I didn’t really fancy sitting in a hotel room in Los Angeles for nine weeks for two minutes on screen…I was offered a film in the U.S. starring Johnny Depp, but it was a small character part, and I thought, ‘What’s the point?’”

1/6Heath Ledger as Will Turner

Buena Vista Pictures

Another prospective name that made headlines for the role of William Turner was that of The Dark Knight actor Heath Ledger. However, during those days, Ledger was still finding his place in the industry and had performed in only few big-ticket projects like 10 Things I Hate About You, The Patriot, and A Knight’s Tale, naturally making him less of a crowd-puller in theaters in the eyes of Disney. Due to such box-office politics, Bloom, who was pretty renowned for Lord of the Rings, was offered the role of Will Turner.

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Tina Turner’s Cause of Death Revealed

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More details on Tina Turner’s passing have come to light.

One day after the legendary performer died at the age of 83, her cause of death has been attributed to natural causes, her representatives confirmed to DailyMail.com. Her publicist also told NBC News her death came after a long illness.

E! News has reached out to her manager for comment but hasn’t heard back.

On May 24, her team shared that she passed away at her home in Switzerland.

“With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow,” a statement posted to her social media pages read. “Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly.”

During the latter years of her life, the “Proud Mary” artist opened up about battling several health issues, including high blood pressure, vertigo, a stroke, intestinal cancer and kidney failure.

In her 2021 documentary, Tina, the singer also shared she experienced post-traumatic stress disorder as a result from her tumultuous marriage to her ex Ike Turner.

“I’ve been on such a wild roller-coaster in the four years since my wedding,” Turner—who wed music executive Erwin Bach in 2013—wrote in her memoir, My Love Story, per Today, “that even I have difficulty keeping my medical catastrophes straight.”

Turner’s passing came just five months after the death of her and Ike’s son Ronnie and nearly five years after her son Craig passed away.

Tina Turner's Cause of Death Revealed

Her death sent shockwaves through Hollywood, with many celebrities speak out about the influence her achievements had on the industry.

“Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her,” Angela Bassett, who played the legend in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, said in a statement. “Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like.”

As the actress—who won a Golden Globe for her role—noted, it was an honor knowing the icon on a personal level.

“Her final words to me, for me, were ‘You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world,’” she added. “I shall hold these words close to my heart for the rest of my days.”

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Tina Turner survived an abusive relationship with Ike and death of two sons

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Tina Turner escaped an abusive relationship to find true love with her second husband, Erwin Bach.

The singer, who passed away aged 83 on Wednesday following an unspecified illness, was in a relationship with the record executive for 38 years. The pair married in 2013.

Tina had publicly praised Erwin for helping her find happiness after fleeing from her first marriage to husband, Ike Turner, which was plagued with physical and emotional abuse.

Ike first met Tina when she was a vulnerable teenager named Annie Mae Bullock. He renamed her Tina, and went on to form the musical duo, Ike & Tina Turner. According to Tina, he micromanaged her career, withheld her finances and beat her while she was pregnant.

After filing for divorce in 1978, Tina was left in debt and had her children to support. She went on to establish a successful solo career.

The songstress met Erwin in 1985 when he was working as an executive with EMI. The pair had an instant connection the moment they met, when he arrived to collect her from Düsseldorf airport.

She said Erwin had taught her how “to love without giving up who I am”, and that he had never been intimidated by her fame or success. He even donated a kidney to her in April 2017, which saved her life.

Writing in her book, Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, Tina said: “Falling in love with my husband, Erwin, was another exercise in leaving my comfort zone, of being open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer.

“The day I first met Erwin, at an airport in Germany, I should have been too tired from my flight, too preoccupied with thoughts of my concert tour. But I did notice him, and I instantly felt an emotional connection.

“Even then, I could have ignored what I felt — I could have listened to the ghost voices in my head telling me that I didn’t look good that day, or that I shouldn’t be thinking about romance because it never ends well. Instead, I listened to my heart.”

Tina’s spokesman confirmed she died “peacefully” at home and added: “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model. With her music and her inexhaustible vitality, Tina Turner thrilled millions of fans and inspired many artists of subsequent generations.”

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Tina Turner: legendary rock’n’roll singer dies aged 83

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Tina Turner, the pioneering rock’n’roll star who became a pop behemoth in the 1980s, has died aged age of 83 after a long illness, her publicist has told the PA news agency.
Turner affirmed and amplified Black women’s formative stake in rock’n’roll, defining that era of music to the extent that Mick Jagger admitted to taking inspiration from her high-kicking, energetic live performances for his stage persona. After two decades of working with her abusive husband, Ike Turner, she struck out alone and – after a few false starts – became one of the defining pop icons of the 1980s with the album Private Dancer. Her life was chronicled in three memoirs, a biopic, a jukebox musical, and in 2021, the acclaimed documentary film, Tina.

“Turner’s musical character has always been a charged combination of mystery as well as light, melancholy mixed with a ferocious vitality that often flirted with danger,” scholar Daphne A Brooks wrote for the Guardian in 2018.
Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on 26 November 1939 and raised in Nutbush, Tennessee, where she recalled picking cotton with her family as a child. She sang in the tiny town’s church choir, and as a teenager talked – or rather, sang – her way into Ike’s band in St Louis: he had declined her request to join until he heard her seize the microphone during a Kings of Rhythm performance for a rendition of BB King’s You Know I Love You.
She had suffered ill health in recent years, being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and having a kidney transplant in 2017.

‘I was just tired of singing and making everybody happy’ … Tina Turner performs at the O2 Arena, London, in 2009. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

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