Credit: DisneyIn 2003, Walt Disney Studios brought one of its most iconic attractions to life with the release of the live-action movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush. The movie tells the story of a band of pirates who troll the Caribbean, pillaging and plundering, and searching for missing pieces of gold.
But this isn’t any normal gold; this is cursed Aztec gold. This gold keeps the pirates in a current state of limbo — they can’t really live, but because they are not fully alive, they cannot die.
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The movie was an absolute hit, grossing more than $650 million and spawning four sequel films — Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
What made Pirates of the Caribbean particularly amazing was Johnny Depp’s creation of Captain Jack Sparrow, the mutinied former captain of the Black Pearl. He was devious, hilarious, and obsessed with rum.
When asked who inspired his character, Johnny Depp said that he wanted Jack Sparrow to be a combination of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Pepé Le Pew.
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In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, audiences finally met Captain Jack’s father, fellow pirate Captain Teague, and it was none other than Keith Richards himself! It was truly a full-circle moment that we could not get enough of.
But what if I told you that Keith Richards almost was NOT the person who played Captain Teague? Would you be surprised to know that Disney was courting another famous rocker for the role?
Well, it’s true!
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In an interview on the podcast The Magnificent Others With Billy Corgan, Sharon Osbourne revealed that Disney invited her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, to come in and read for the role.
That’s right, Disney was actually eyeing the Black Sabbath frontman for the role of Captain Teague. And it sounds like he was actually considering it, until his wife said no.
“He got offered to go and read for Pirates of the Caribbean, and I’ve never said this to anyone. I said no. Now wouldn’t he have been perfect? Because when Johnny … wanted Keith [Richards] to be a pirate, you remember?”
Of course, in the end, it all worked out, and the person who inspired the role ended up getting it.
But while Ozzy didn’t end up starring in Pirates of the Caribbean, he has appeared in many other Hollywood productions. He has provided his voice for several films, including Moulin Rouge! (2001), Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), Sherlock Gnomes (2018), and Trolls World Tour (2020). He also appeared as himself in Little Nicky (2000) and Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002).
Sadly, Ozzy has taken a major step back from being center stage and is focusing on his health. In 2020, the rocker revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and in 2023, he retired from touring due to struggles with a spinal issue that he had been dealing with for four years.
And just a couple of weeks ago, he announced that he could no longer walk because of his disease.
Would you have loved to see Ozzy Osbourne take on the role of Captain Teague? Or are you happy the role went to Keith Richards? Share your thoughts in the comments!