Who’s the richest Pirates of the Caribbean star? Net worths, ranked – from actors Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and Hong Kong’s Chow Yun-fat, to leading ladies Keira Knightley and Penélope Cruz

Ahoy! With each film ranking among the most profitable blockbusters of the box office, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a household name. It introduced us to the mischievous Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp. Although Disney, the producer, cut ties with Depp in 2018 following ex-wife Amber Heard’s allegations of abuse, essentially “firing” him from any future sequels after working with him for over 14 years, he will remain an icon of the Seven Seas for loyal fans worldwide.

There’s plenty of speculation about what will happen next. According to several reports, it’s pretty certain that Depp will not be returning to his famous role with the franchise, and there are already talks of who will replace him. Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the films, confirmed there will be a sequel but with a female lead – and they’ve already started writing a script for potential candidate Margot Robbie, per CNN. Fans, however, are not happy, according to many tweets since the news broke, not to mention during the trial. One netizen stated: “Only way this works is if they bring back Johnny Depp.”

Drama aside, many stars from the series have really boosted their careers through the franchise, although some of the OG cast have long set sail and moved on. We take a look at the casts’ current fortunes based on Celebrity Net Worth calculations.

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14. Bill Nighy – US$8 million

You probably don’t recognise him in the film – and understandably so, since his face is covered in gigantic tentacles. Playing Davy Jones, the antagonist captain of the Black Pearl ship, the Love Actually actor seems an unlikely fit for the fearsome character, but he does it so well, and with so much heart you eventually sympathise with the massive squid man. His roles in British films and Underworld add to his comfortable US$8 million fortune.

12. Ian McShane – US$10 million

The classically trained British actor made his debut in showbiz back in 1962, and got famous through gigs like BBC’s Lovejoy, Deadwood and American Gods. In the pirate franchise, McShane plays the infamous Blackbeard, the villain in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and with over 60 years of acting experience, we can understand how he stacked up his pretty net worth.

11. Javier Bardem – US$30 million

Starring alongside his bombshell wife Penélope Cruz in the franchise, Bardem nabbed the role after visiting the set and seeing how “everything worked and how much they respected the fact she was pregnant while she was shooting”, he told The Independent. He ended up playing Captain Salazar, one of the main villains who even gets his own movie headline, Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge.

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10. Zoe Saldaña – US$35 million

Saldaña starred as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, the first film of the series, in 2003. According to Screenrant, she nearly quit Hollywood altogether due to a bad experience with the producers.

She never went back to the franchise but, thankfully, didn’t abandon the showbiz ship, going on to make a name for herself with Avatar in 2009, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek. Saldaña will star in the upcoming Avatar sequel.

9. Geoffrey Rush – US$40 million

Rush, along with only 24 other actors in the world, has the honour of winning the “triple crown of acting” (an Academy Award for film, a Primetime Emmy Award for television and a Tony Award for theatre). His famous films include The King’s Speech, Shakespeare in Love and Quills. However, he has also said he’s “done” with the Disney franchise, reports Hindustan Times, following the death of his character Captain Hector Barbossa.

8. Orlando Bloom – US$40 million

One of the main characters in the franchise, Bloom remains a heartthrob for his on-screen and off-screen personality (that’s unless you’re into the gritty Jack Sparrow, of course – whatever floats your pirate boat). He starred in the first three films but, with Keira Knightley, didn’t return thereafter. Besides his lucrative acting roster, he’s also got some eye-watering property that he shares with his fiancée, American pop sensation Katy Perry.

7. Stellan Skarsgård – US$50 million

The Swedish actor was already famous in his hometown before landing Hollywood blockbusters like Good Will Hunting. He plays Bootstrap Bill Turner in Pirates, and has stacked up a hefty fortune thanks to endless acting gigs. Oh, he’s also in Marvel, namely Thor and The Avengers, which we hear paid quite well.

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6. Keira Knightley – US$80 million

English rose Keira Knightley needs no introduction. At only 18, she joined the Black Pearl as Elizabeth Swann opposite her superstar peers. Although she didn’t return after the third film, she has done completely fine for herself, starring in multiple films and landing many lucrative endorsement deals, from Chanel to Asprey.

5. Penélope Cruz – US$85 million

The Spanish actress, with husband Bardem, recently spoke up for co-star Depp about the court case, on how he was “always kind to everyone around” during filming. They’ve worked on multiple films together, including her role as Angelica in the Pirates franchise. Her enormous net worth comes from her many acting gigs and impressive list of international properties.

4. Johnny Depp – US$150 million

Jack Sparrow himself surprisingly doesn’t rank the richest, though he certainly racked up a huge sum from his days as the pirate. The world-famous actor may be making headlines for a certain divorce case, but nonetheless, he has also been celebrated for his talents for decades. He has an incredible portfolio of films from Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands to Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland, plus plenty of property, including ones in Hollywood, LA, Côte d’Azur and the Bahamas … the list goes on. Though he won’t be working his Disney character anymore, we’re sure he’ll be fine thanks to the US$150 million fortune he’s sitting on.

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3. Chow Yun-fat – US$200 million

The Hong Kong legend was actually estimated at US$700 million in 2019 by Forbes, and he said in an interview that he plans to leave his fortune to the needy when he dies. A philanthropic sweetheart whose wealth continues to expand, Chow actually made a celebrity appearance in the Pirates movie playing Captain Sao Feng in the second sequel. Though Celebrity Net Worth claims his dollars at US$200 million, the “cool kid” could very well be worth much more.

2. Keith Richards – US$500 million

Depp has often credited the Rolling Stones icon as inspiration for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow. And so it only made sense for the British musician to join the franchise and play the pirate’s father, Captain Teague, in two of the films. Although we don’t doubt he got a pretty pay cheque for his screen time, Richards has made most of his millions through producing with his own record label, Mindless Records, bestselling books, and obviously, music.

1. Paul McCartney – US$1.2 billion

Another musical legend to appear in the films is none other than The Beatles’ Paul McCartney. As a member of one of the most successful bands of all time, it’s no wonder McCartney has joined the billionaires’ club. Nonetheless, he was happy to join the cast of ye ol’ pirates as Uncle Jack in the 2017 outing, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Although he’s now 79 years old, he still remains a very busy man in showbiz.