Depp fought for eccentric Sparrow

Johnny Depp has told how he had to fight to play Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Sparrow the way he wanted.

The star said bosses were unsure if his eccentric interpretation of the lead role would work.

"I took a lot of heat from Disney and the people that write the cheques," he told the Daily Mail. "But I did feel strongly that I was heading in the right direction, that my take on Captain Jack was who he should be."

Depp - formerly a heavy partier - also said he had now given up strong drink and drugs in favour of the family life with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and children Lily-Rose, seven, and Jack, five.

The birth of Lily-Rose "was not only the greatest thing that's ever happened - it's the only thing that's ever happened to me," he said.

"Suddenly, you meet your reason to live, meet the future. It was like my birth in a way. I was born that day. I quit drinking spirits because I couldn't stop.

"I would just keep going until a black screen came down, where you can't see anything any more. Trying to numb and medicate myself was never about recreation, it was existing without living. Now I have a solid foundation to stand on."