Exclusive Interview with Disney Pirates Newcomer Brenton Thwaites as Henry Turner

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Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the 5th in the pirate franchise and welcomes Brenton Thwaites (who was recently named ‘Breakthrough Performer of the Year’) to the cast in the important role of Henry Turner.
Yes, THAT Turner. Brenton does in fact play the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan – a role which is very integral to this whole new storyline! After interviewing Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa) and Javier Bardem (Captain Salazar), we were thrilled to get a chance to talk with Brenton during our #PiratesLifeEvent trip for a fun interview!  We started off the interview by asking more about what it was like to step into this famous franchise and how he got the role!

On getting the role and stepping into such an iconic franchise… 

Brenton shared that he actually auditioned multiple times for the role and then things got put on hold for a little while. So then he actually re-auditioned…and eventually got the part! Then he explained that he thought it was actually a little easier stepping into a character and world that already had so much back story there to draw from. 

I feel as though as it was kind of easier than not having them because they provided such a backstory for my character. You know, we, we start the movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales with the boy version in my character, basically saying, you know, I believe there's a treasure that can break your curse, and I can spend more time with you. And he says, okay, well if there is, go find Jack Sparrow. He can help you find it. And so I feel like the goal and obligation for my character has already been set, and that, that kind of gives Henry a, a lot more drive and focus for the whole movie.

On working with Johnny Depp and that iconic character in Captain Jack Sparrow…  

Henry interacts with Captain Jack quite a bit during the film, so we HAD to know what it was like working across from him. Brenton had one word: terrifying. 
“It’s always terrifying because you never know what he’s gonna say or do…and it always results in humiliation for me. Entering a scene, you know, thinking this guy now is five movies worth of Jack Sparrow.  And he’s on the ball and you know, kind of irreverent and impulsive. You just anticipate what he’s gonna do and say, so that’s great because, you know, it kind of improves your acting in the sense that you’re always, you know, open and free and relaxed to go with the flow, but also pretty terrifying.” HA! We were all cracking up! So, we had to ask a little more about that. Q:  “Were there times that you had to find yourself to stop laughing at him? Was he doing things to make you laugh? “Every scene! Listen, if you guys look closely, me and Kaya, you know, behind the scenes are like this, [he shows himself looking in the distance or down, biting his lip], just trying not to laugh.  I was like  looking down and away, shaking.” 

So yah, suffice it to say that it must be hilariously funny to be on set with Johnny as Captain Jack. And, we REALLY want to see some bloopers/out-takes on the Bluray!

On what Brenton hopes the audience takes away from the film…

I just hope they’re entertained, you know?! This kind of movie with all the genres slotted into this two hour gap- it’s the kind of movie that never loses its drive and has so many action pieces- set pieces; comedic elements; romance; supernatural; there’s kind of something for everyone in this movie. So I hope everyone takes something from it and connects with the characters.

Without giving anything away, I DO think people will find things to connect with. In fact, there are some surprises in this film which people should find interesting! He definitely seemed excited to be a part of the franchise and to work with Disney again (he was in Disney’s Maleficent a few years ago). We didn’t get a chance to ask him if he hopes for another Pirates film, but if he fellow cast members are any indication, I say yes! Everyone seemed really interested and I personally would love to see more of his story develop! Make plans to go see Brenton as Henry Turner when “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” sails into theaters nationwide on May 26, 2017! 



Disclosure: Disney hosted me in LA in order to attend the film screening and to participate in group interviews & media events. As always, all opinions, experiences, and love of Disney are entirely my own! Photo credit: Disney and MomStart.com for all images.

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I’m Sara, a mom to three adorable boys living in the Arizona desert. As a former teacher, I love sharing my passions with others. So, have a look around for creative inspiration about cooking, creating, celebrating, traveling with kids, and more everyday mom endeavors!

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