Pirates Of The Caribbean Actors You May Not Know Passed Away
It's been more than 20 years since "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" turned a Disneyland attraction into a blockbuster film franchise. What was once an archaic Disney property suddenly became a blockbuster tentpole tale of quirky Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), heroic Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and the ascension of pirate king Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly). In the wake of its success, there came a hugely successful trilogy of movies — followed by two less beloved sequels – all featuring a wide-ranging cast of actors from the U.S., U.K., and around the world.
While there is always potential for more movies, the odds of the original trilogy cast appearing in them seem unlikely, especially since Johnny Depp likely wouldn't be coming back for a "Pirates of the Caribbean 6." It's not just Jack Sparrow; there are other characters who won't be seen on screen again, this time due to the death of the actor who portrayed them. Below is a remembrance of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise's familiar faces that you may not know have passed away.
Sergio Calderón
Viewers might know Mexican actor Sergio Calderón best not for "Pirates of the Caribbean," but for his role as José in the original "Men in Black." He is, perhaps, better recognized as a head on a stick carried by an alien, an image from the movie that's hard to forget and the role for which Calderón was most recognized during his lifetime.
Calderón appeared in the "Pirates" franchise as Captain Eduardo Villanueva, one of the pirate lords whom Jack must recruit to complete his quest (and save himself) in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." The actor also provided the voice of the character for the movie tie-in video game of the same name. With a career stretching back to the '70s, Calderón could be found in tons of small parts, populating such classics as the Sergio Leone film "Duck, You Sucker!" and the Peter Falk and Alan Arkin comedy "The In-Laws." Larger, later roles included Gustavo in "Little Fockers" and Emiliano in the 2003 Ron Howard thriller "The Missing," which also starred Tommy Lee Jones.
A rep for Calderón said that the actor had been fighting pneumonia when he died in June of 2023 surrounded by family. He was 77 years old.
David Bailie
Director Gore Verbinski stuffed the original "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy with clever, fun, lovable characters, and it became a big part of their charm. From the main trio to the tiniest one-scene roles, they brought a comedic energy that fueled the franchise's unique mixture of humor and grim circumstances of death and damnation.
One of the most memorable of these minor characters (in terms of screen time, perhaps, but not in the hearts of viewers) was David Bailie's Cotton. A loyal member of Jack Sparrow's crew, Cotton is a mute whose parrot speaks for him. Sporting a gray beard and bandana, Cotton sticks around for the entire original trilogy, aiding the crew of the Black Pearl.
Prior to his time in the "Pirates" films, South African actor Bailie had been doing small parts on British TV since the late 1960s. He appeared in a variety of programs — including four episodes of the original "Doctor Who" — throughout the '70s, then made himself known to American audiences via the infamous "Cutthroat Island," the 1995 Renny Harlin dud largely thought to have killed pirate movies forever until the "Pirates" films brought them back. Bailie went on to appear in Luc Besson's "The Messenger," Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning "Gladiator," and Lars von Trier's "The House That Jack Built."
Bailie died on March 5, 2021 at the age of 83. He was living in London at the time. The cause of death was never released to the public.
Richard Griffiths
There's a major movie franchise most viewers recognize Richard Griffiths from, and it's perhaps even bigger than "Pirates of the Caribbean." Many young people of a certain generation were introduced to the character actor via his role as Vernon Dursley, the Boy Who Lived's frequently cruel uncle in the "Harry Potter" films. Griffiths also played King George II in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the 2011 entry in the "Pirates" franchise. In the film's early moments, the King apprehends Jack Sparrow and recruits him to guide the expedition which drives the movie's plot.
A prominent English actor, Griffiths was known for his roles in Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," acting alongside Richard E. Grant in the cult classic "Withnail & I," and as the voice of "Jeltz" in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." He also could be seen in such classics as "Chariots of Fire," "The French Lieutenant's Woman," "Gandhi," and 1995's "Funny Bones." For comedy fans, it's hard to forget Griffiths as Dr. Meinheimer in "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear," where Leslie Nielsen's inept Lt. Frank Drebin subjects him to all sorts of humorous indignities.
Griffiths worked steadily until his death on March 28, 2013, when he died at age 65 following complications caused by heart surgery. His final appearance was an uncredited one in the Richard Curtis time travel rom-com "About Time."
Trevor Goddard
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" marked the final onscreen role for Trevor Goddard. The role was small but not insignificant; he played Grapple, one of the pirates who clashes blades with Will Turner. The character is perhaps best remembered for his outlandish departure, grabbing Turner with a hooked hand and telling him to "say goodbye" before a fallen piece of debris knocks him through a window. Turner, walking away, says goodbye.
Goddard died only a few weeks before the movie came to theaters. On June 7, 2003, Goddard was found dead in his home, the result of a drug overdose.
In prior years, Goddard had become best known for his role as Australian trash talker Kano in 1995's "Mortal Kombat" movie. He also played Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby in over 40 episodes of "JAG," the Naval legal drama that would eventually spin off the formidable "NCIS" franchise of shows. Early TV roles included one-off appearances on hit shows including "Murder, She Wrote," "Baywatch," and "Murphy Brown."
True enough to his vocation, Goddard's memorial service featured a movie-worthy reveal: The New York Post reported that his father told 400 surprised attendees his son was British. Goddard had said he was Australian to land the "Mortal Kombat" role, and the lie stuck for nearly a decade.
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John Boswall
The original "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies were grim in comparison to today's PG-13 blockbusters. Take the fate of the crew of the Flying Dutchman, Davey Jones' ship in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." After an eternity sailing the seas, these men become one with the ship, losing all memory; as they do, their corporeal form becomes part of the haunted vessel. This is manifested in a particularly effective manner when Wyvern, played by English actor John Boswall, pops out of a wall to help Will Turner and Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) find the key to the dead man's chest, to which the film's title refers.
It may have only been a handful of seconds, but Boswall (sometimes credited as Boswell) had made yet another impression in what was a prestigious career. One of his earliest film roles was as Goldstein in "1984," the film adaptation of the George Orwell novel that came out in the titular year. He appeared in a great deal of TV throughout his career — from British shows like 1980's "Sherlock Holmes" to American dramas including as a magistrate in four episodes of the TV series "Rome" — as well as films like "Three Men and a Little lady" and Luc Besson's "The Messenger."
Boswall died on June 6, 2011, in South Woodchester, Gloucestershire, at age 91. He had been living in a nursing home fighting a long-term illness in his final years.
Derrick O'Connor
Stage actor Derrick O'Connor was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company before joining the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series for a small role in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." The Irish-born Brit was no stranger to movies at the time, having already appeared in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" and as a villain in "Lethal Weapon 2." He also had parts in everything from episodes of "Murder, She Wrote," "Alias," and "Monk," to films like "Deep Rising" and Gilliam's "Jabberwocky."
In "Dead Man's Chest," O'Connor plays a very old man who meets Jack Sparrow at the Faithful Bride pub in Tortuga. This man, it seems, joins the crew of the Black Pearl — but it doesn't look like he survives long enough to make it to the next film. Film fans might also recognize O'Connor from the movie he did immediately prior; in 2003's infamous Ben Affleck-led "Daredevil," the Irish actor played the Catholic priest to whom Affleck's Matt Murdoch frequently confides.
O'Connor died of pneumonia on June 29, 2018 in Santa Barbara, California. The actor was 77 years old.