User blog:J Fan/Happy Birthday Johnny Depp - 2013

 'Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?'

Many birthdays were to happen this month, or already happened, with those involved in the Pirates franchise. Birthdays including Jonathan Pryce (Governor Weatherby Swann), Sebastian Armesto (King Ferdinand), and more to come. But for today, we are to celebrate one of the most important Pirates-related birthdays of all...the birthday of Captain Jack Sparrow himself, Johnny Depp! Yes, friends, you will always remember this as the day Johnny Depp turns...50? Gee, where did the time go.

The Kentucky-born star rose to fame as undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular television series 21 Jump Street in the 1980s. He became a teen idol, and in later years turned to films for more challenging roles. Despite having been nominated for three Academy Awards, Depp has yet to take home the coveted trophy. Depp was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

Interesting trivia, an ancient extinct species was recently named after Johnny Depp due to its fossil having a similarity with Edward Scissorhands, the quirky title role which began Depp's long association with director Tim Burton. The 505 million-year-old creature, named Kooteninchela deppi, was originally discovered at Stanley Glacier in Canada's Kootenay National Park. "When I first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species I could not help but think of Edward Scissorhands," David Legg of Imperial College London said, "Even the genus name, Kootenichela, includes the reference to this film as 'chela' is Latin for claws or scissors. In truth, I am also a bit of a Depp fan."

Now getting back to Pirates. As everyone should know by now, Johnny Depp had portrayed the iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow. He's helped in giving us fans amazing adventures with Captain Jack in many Pirates media, including but not limited to:
 * 1) Four full-length films - need I say more?
 * 2) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow - The only game to feature Depp's voice.
 * 3) At least two Disney attractions - the refurbished version of the original Pirates ride, which debuted in 2006 and appeared in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, and The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow, which debuted last year only in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Of course, most recently in the film franchise, we've seen Mr. Depp as Captain Jack in On Stranger Tides. When we last saw Jack, he marooned Angelica before reuniting with his loyal first mate Joshamee Gibbs, who retrieved the Black Pearl in a bottle along with a sack-full of an armada of ships in bottle. Indeed, many fans will look forward his return in the yet-untitled Pirates of the Caribbean 5, in whatever big adventure that lies ahead, which is currently set for release on July 10, 2015. Until then, I think we should wish him well as he goes into new horizons.

Now that I gave me wishes to our most valued member of the Pirates series, I like to wish all users whose birthdays are in June. While I have NO idea how many of our numerous POTC-related Wiki users were born in June, I'll just say "Happy Birthday!" and wish you all well. :)