Depp initially resisted 'Pirates' role

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NEWTON, N.J., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says it took some persuading to get Johnny Depp to play Jack Sparrow in his blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Depp was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award Thursday for playing the outrageous buccaneer. He also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance and the film won the People's Choice Award for best picture earlier this week.

"I spent about five months trying to woo (Depp) to do the film," Bruckheimer told UPI's Karen Butler in a recent phone interview.

"But it always comes down to the writing," he continued. "If you have great writing, you'll attract really good actors."

Bruckheimer said he wanted to make the film based on the popular Disneyland attraction because he found the concept of ghost pirates fresh and unique.

"I just loved the supernatural approach to the movie," he said. "The fact that we have these cursed pirates and they have to return a treasure and they turn into skeletons in the moonlight. I thought that was real inventive."

"The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" was one of the most successful films of 2003.