A travesty of Hitchcock-ian proportions ensured Depp not winning the Academy Award for his spellbinding work in the Gore Verbinski adventure film. Captain Jack Sparrow is, quite simply, one of the most original characters ever to grace the silver screen.

Depp laughed and claimed he based the unforgettable Sparrow as a cross between rock dinosaur Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones and foppish French cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew! The Richards' influence was overriding, as he swaggered drunkenly around and slurred some gems of dialogue.

Johnny developed a superbly characteristic walk, a clumsy gait which still managed to possess panache, and Jack Sparrow single-cutlassedly elevated this predictable script to a whole different crow's nest.

And then there was the kohl on the eyes, a true masterstroke. Depp managed to create a wonderfully dimensional character of infinite appeal in a film otherwise bordering on sheer tediousness. A staggering achievement indeed. Hic.