Perhaps most well known for his devious role as the self-serving pirate, Barbossa, in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush has taken part in a wide range of films like Gods Of Egypt, Intolerable Cruelty and Shakespeare In Love, as well as the upcoming Genius, in which he plays Albert Einstein. I particularly enjoy his speeches in the Pirates franchise where his words seem to role off the tongue like a Shakespearean sonnet. There are many unexpected layers to his character in the upcoming 5th film in the franchise, as we will soon find out. But don’t worry, there are no spoilers.

Geoffrey Rush Interview: He Talks Barbossa’s Inspiration & Pirate Monkeys

[We asked Geoffrey Rush how he felt taking on different personas for his role as Barbossa in the 5th installment in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise.]

Geoffrey Rush: Before I actually entered into the story, he was described rather fearfully by the two pirates that are now my assistants. He’s spat out from the mouth of hell. So, he was pretty much the dark villain of the piece. There is a sort or poignant but rather ridiculous comic madman.

[What did you think of Johnny Depp’s role and working with him?]

Geoffrey Rush: It was just fantastic to think someone like Johnny, [who] was the king of the independent films here, [who created] great characters like Edward Scissor Hands and What’s Eating Gilbert Great and all of the things that he did. For him to create such a unique, unpredictable pirate, there’s nothing like it in literature or cinema before. And he got nominated for a Best Actor Award, which is just fantastic. Action adventure films just don’t really get a look in on that territory. But I remember him telling me when we shot the first film, he said, “We can’t be stereotypes. We’ve got to create really imaginative kind of people that an audience will get very engaged with.

[What was the inspiration for your Barbossa character?]

I like the British rock stars of the ‘60s, you know, the real Blackbeard used to have fuse wire burning in his beard [so] that when people saw him they thought he was the devil. So, with Barbossa I wanted to make him very arrogant and very pompous and very superior and maybe a bit slightly self-diluted about how bright he actually is. I was a bit more like a glam rock star [of the 70s]….he’s a control freak and he loves thinking he’s the most powerful person on the planet. And then I worked for the king. I liked that in Pirates 4. And I said, you know, I really insist that I have a very elaborate wig and lovely makeup and a beauty spot. When he put on the courtly makeup with his crusty skin, he didn’t look any prettier. Barbossa isn’t somebody with any sense of personal style whatsoever, you know.

[Barbossa’s character arc has many surprises in the upcoming film. We touch on that in the interview, but I will share with you the non-spoiler parts today.]

Geoffrey Rush: I had a guy interviewing me yesterday and he was tearing up while we were chatting. He said I just went the last 25 minutes of the film sobbing. I just like the way [it works] thematically in the whole film. And Kaya [Scodelario] is such a gorgeous actress, and she’s got a very feisty, natural funky quality. My daughter worked on the film in the costume department, and they’re the same age. And I don’t know if Skins shows here in the states. It was very popular teenage series in the UK, and Kaya played one of the main characters in that. And I love the fact that she’s, you know, [portrayed] as being this really brilliant, female astronomer. And the fact that she, you know, for all of her rationale, empirical, scientific aspiration, she still has to deal with the fact that somebody like Salazar existed as well, who’s supernatural.

[You and Johnny have a great back and forth. Was that natural, or did you have to work on that?]

Geoffrey Rush: We sort of decided now that the Black Pearl is our mutual girlfriend and we both want her, you know. Then chances are that Jack Sparrow will end up with the ship, but that sense of harmony’s always going to stay there I think.

[Then we get to the monkey. Actually, monkeys, as the monkey in Pirates was played by several different monkeys. Awwww…]

Geoffrey Rush: The monkey’s great. The monkey’s trained to really have no relationship with me, because if it did it would just be looking for things to eat in my wig. You know what I mean. And they’re very loyal to their owner if trained correctly. So, I pulled a sword or somebody yelled fire or whatever, the monkey would just go [crazy]. So, the monkey is completely in the hands of the trainer. And the trainers are brilliant. They’re able to sort of throw in all the instructions in and around the dialogue.

I remember on the first film we’d shot the first meeting with Elizabeth Swann and I’d come down with the monkey on my shoulder, and we had a big dialogue between us. And suddenly when they came in for the close shops, the boson was this massive, deep, black-skinned guy called Isaac Singleton Junior. He was this gentle giant and he hadn’t been there in the earlier shots. And the monkey was kind of [uncomfortable].

And the trainer [Ursula] said “I think it’s okay.” She had this idea of just squirting a water pistol onto Tara’s chest. She had a little vest and everything. So everything looks like she’s looking at Elizabeth Swann. And Ursula’s sort of down on the ground going “Tara, Tara, Tara.” It was hilarious. There was one scene where we’re going into the scene and Ursula, she was quite an attractive blonde woman, was down lying on the floor between my legs in the boat sending all of these commands out to Tara. And then Pablo and Chiquita [2 more monkeys] came.

Pablo and Chiquita were a good team. [They got] peanut rewards or little bits of dried banana and stuff like that. And I used to love it. I’d feel them on my shoulder making all those little noises. And you just get very warm soft, aromatic, peanut breath.

[He also spoke of how one of the monkeys actually remembered him 5 years later when they met again on the set of Pirates. How sweet! And Pablo even gave him an original painting as a wrap gift!]

Geoffrey Rush: It’s really amazing. And it’s framed. And it’s an ogre background and it’s got these mad, green spreads, like abstract – I call it abstract simian expressionism. And then there’s some yellow over on this side. It’s really quite artistic. I don’t know what that is. That could’ve been the contents of the diaper that he wears.

Because I took it on the Chelsea Lately Show and I described it like it was a great painting. And then I go, “Oh, sorry, it’s the wrong way.” Then over on the side, there’s a little paw print. Signed. It’s an original by Pablo.

[While we were getting our picture made with Geoffrey Rush, he commented on how he would kiss us all but he didn’t have time. Too bad. :P]

*Thanks to Louise at MomStart.com for the epic pictures. 😉

Be Sure To Watch Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales In Theaters May 26th!

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