A popular fan theory has surrounds the second Pirates of the Caribbean film, Dead Man’s Chest. Actor Lee Arenberg, who played Pintel, has ended speculation once and for all.
Do you remember watching Dead Man’s Chest when it came out?
Beloved characters Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley) return for the sequel.
However, the film’s dramatic ending revealed that one more actor had returned – and in surprising fashion.
SPOILER ALERT: Geoffrey Rush, who is also known for his roles in The King’s Speech and Shine, reprised his role as Captain Hector Barbossa, despite the character’s apparent death in the previous film.
Of course, this came as a surprise to fans and the characters alike.
One of the characters present for the surprising reveal was Pintel (Lee Arenberg), a former member of Barbossa’s crew.
Over a decade after Dead Man’s Chest premiered, Lee (who also played ‘Grumpy’ in Once Upon A Time) dispelled a popular Pirates of the Caribbean fan theory on Twitter.
As the theory goes, the cast did not know about Rush’s return, given his character’s fate.
Meaning, their surprised reactions would be genuine.
It’s a rumour that has made the rounds on the Internet to the point where it was generally believed to be true.
Except, it’s not, poppet.
Courageous Nerd founder Conor O’Brien, writer of this article, posed the question on Twitter, asking: “There’s an old rumour that none of the cast knew about Geoffrey Rush’s return as Barbossa in Dead Man’s Chest. Always wondered if this was true. The reactions on their faces seemed very convincing.”
To which Lee Arenberg responded: “Of course we knew!! Gore fired a blank if I remember correctly…to get our shocked looks..”.
So, there you have it. The cast of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest did, in fact, know about the return of Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa.
Who would’ve thought?
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on Twitter
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
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