Geoffrey Rush Reflects on More Than a Decade of Piracy on the Caribbean – Gizmodo

Geoffrey Rush is back as Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. All Images: Disney

After five movies playing a ruthless pirate, you might think an Oscar-winning actor like Geoffrey Rush would be tired of it. He is not. He relishes playing Captain Barbossa, the longtime nemesis of Jack Sparrow, because he believes Pirates of the Caribbean is the rare franchise that stands out in a world dominated by franchises.

I think all the franchises battle with each other, to [try and] out-do each other, Rush told io9 in Los Angeles last week. I think were lucky in that were one of the few stories that are set on the open sea. Most of the others are very urban. Or theyre all about the apocalypse or the cataclysm of metropolitan life. Theres something thrilling about the adventures on the high seas that connects.

When Rush was cast as Barbossa for the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, it wasnt conceived as a franchise. According to Rush, the first versions of the script just said Pirates of the Caribbean on them; Ii wasnt until Curse of the Black Pearl was added to later drafts that the actor realized the sequel potential. At that time, he was part of a very small group.

On the first film, there was a certain cynicism about making a film about a Disneyland ride, Rush said. And we were very low on the list of the summer releases. [But] Jerry Bruckheimers a very thoughtful, very creative producer. He really looked hard for a spin on the pirate genre. And once the writers came up with the Curse of the Black Pearl, he thought, Ive got something thats going to really excite all of you.

Rush returns as Barbossa in the fifth film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He still relishes the opportunity, even after 14 years playing the role.

Its a fantastical world mixed in with a surprising reality for a Disney film, he said. In this film, you actually see swords go through peoples torsos. And the supernatural element has always been part of the romance of pirate folklore. The artistry behind that from the costume designer, the cinematography, the injection of a Nordic team of directors (Joachim Rnning and Espen Sandberg) bringing in a kind of new Euro angle to telling the story. Thats all been really exciting.

But while Rush may be happy, Barbossa is not. In Dead Men Tell No Tales, hes become the most powerful pirate in the world, but, lacking any real rivals, hes gotten bored.

Hes always been a transformational character because hes a survivor, Rush said. Hes worked for a king. Hes become the wealthiest pirate. Hes taken his eye off the ball, hes gotten lazy. I love in this film, I said to the directors, at the beginning, Id love to have a string quartet in my cabin. I dont know how to spend my money, but, so much money, what do I spend it on? And I said, Thats his iPod. He wants access to the best. And thats Barbossas first scene in the film: sitting in a room full of treasure, listening to his own person string quartet.

From there, Dead Men Tell No Tales takes Barbossa on his own epic, personal journey, which Rush refused to elaborate upon. However, he would say that no matter what you may think is happening in the film, you can never be sure that Barbossa isnt playing another game altogether. Whatever you think his involvement is with the rough and tumble of the plot, you have to suspect that theres a wily, smart, super-plan in the back of his head, Rush said.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens May 26.

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Geoffrey Rush Reflects on More Than a Decade of Piracy on the Caribbean - Gizmodo