Johnny Depp used sauna until it affected him mentally for Pirates of the Caribbean role

By Deputy Chief EditorNovember 8, 2018

230 2 minutes read

Johnnys preparation for Pirates involved risking death (Picture: Getty, Disney)

Johnny Depp has revealed the extreme lengths he went to to prepare for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean – and its not for the faint-hearted.

The character of Jack Sparrow has become iconic thanks to Johnnys eccentric portrayal of the character, including exaggerated gestures and slurred speech.

Well, it seems theres a reason for Jacks larger-than-life character as Johnny, 55, prepared for the role by spending so long in a sauna that it started to affect him mentally.

Speaking at an event in Zurich back in October, Johnny revealed: Captain Jack was actually born in a sauna—my sauna.

[embedded content]

I figured this is a guy who has been on the high seas for probably all of his life, the majority of his life at least, and therefore probably dealt with a lot of inescapable heat to the brain.

Sounds awful.

Detailing the shocking tactic, Johnny continued: I sat in there for as long as I could until it started to affect me mentally. Which is to say, it was very, very hot, as was my brain.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by BabiradPicture/REX/Shutterstock (9729454a) Johnny Depp Johnny Depp out and about in Munich, Germany - 27 Jun 2018 Johnny Depp at the Rocco Forte Charles Hotel — Johnny may be giving up Jack Sparrows rum for good (Picture: Rex Features)

And then what happened is while I was in there, in that kind of heat you cannot stand still, but the worst of it is if you move, it kills you. So that in itself sort of gave me… yeah, like his brain has been part-boiled to some degree.

It comes amid claims Johnny has been axed from the Pirates franchise by Disney after playing the beloved character in five installments of the movie.

More: Johnny Depp

Johnny also opened up about Jack Sparrow in a recent interview with GQ, admitting that the Hollywood studio werent initially impressed with his performance.

The Fantastic Beasts star claimed: Disney hated me. [They were] thinking of every way they could to get rid of me, to fire me. “Oh, were going to have to subtitle him. We dont understand Captain Jack Sparrow. Whats wrong with him?”

“Whats wrong with his arms?” “Is he drunk?” “Is he mentally fucking stupefied?” “Is he gay?”

Got a showbiz story?

If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.