12. Jim Carrey - Jack Sparrow (Pirates Of The Caribbean)
Captain Jack Sparrow has to be considered as one of the most legendary cinematic characters of the 21st Century. Johnny Depp puts in such a ground-breaking performance in bringing this off-kilter pirateer to life, that you'd have to possess a very vivid imagination to visualize anyone else in the role. So with this in mind, it is perhaps somewhat surprising that Johnny Depp wasn't actually the first choice for Jack Sparrow. Yes, initially director Gore Verbinksi offered Jim Carrey (another oddball of Hollywood) the role of Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately for Carrey, production schedule of The Curse of The Black Pearl coinicided with the shoot of Bruce Almighty, presenting him with no choice but to pass up the role that could easily have proved exceedingly lucrative for his career. Evidently, Verbinski discerned that Carrey possesses the essential eccentricity for the role in abundance, although I have to say that I for one, am rather glad he declined. Carrey is notorious for being a tad over the top and histrionic in his portrayals, and I'm not sure he'd have been adept enough in pulling off the subtleties of Sparrow, like Depp was able to.