By now you’ve figured out that Henry is the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. We see him in an after credits scene at the end of At World’s End. Let’s face it, we were all terribly sad to see Will Turner’s fate to be bound by the Flying Dutchman. But there is something I discovered in my research about the film. Did you know that the sword Will Turner made for Norrington made its way through the series and characters until it landed in the hands of Davy Jones where he stabbed Will Turner with it!? Will Turner was killed with the sword he made! Disney magic I tell you.
Breton Thwaites has become the Prince of Disney if you will. He played Prince Philip in Maleficent, and now he is playing Henry Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which kind of makes him Prince of the sea. Either way, he is dreamy to watch on screen and off. We sat down with him to talk about his new life as a father and see how he did joining an all-star cast in an epic franchise. Let’s see what he has to say.
Listen to the whole interview at the bottom of this post.
Q- What’s it like stepping into such a role with having Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner as your parents, and having to kinda take that story on?
Brenton Thwaites: 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 of 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 have already been set, and that, that kind of gives Henry a, a lot more drive and focus for the whole movie.
Q- What was it like working opposite Johnny Depp and the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow?
Breton Thwaites: It was terrifying. It’s still terrifying. It’s always terrifying because you never know what he’s gonna say or do, so you know, and it always results in humiliation for me. So it’s always- you are always, you know, entering a scene, thinking this guy now is five movies worth of Jack Sparrow.
And he’s on the ball and kind of irreverent and impulsive, you know. He kind of- you just anticipate what he’s gonna do and say, so that’s great because as an actor it kind of improves your acting in the sense that you’re always open and free and relaxed to go with the flow, but also pretty terrifying.
Q– Do you think they valued your input as a newcomer to the franchise?
Brenton Thwaites: You know, I think they did value my input as a newcomer. There were so many different characters coming into this one to make it a fresh new thing, and I think all the old-school dudes really wanted to make it fresh and exciting and it’s something they hadn’t done before. So Javier coming on board, myself, Kaya, and the two new directors who- had primarily done independent films were kind of supported and encouraged on this one.
Q- Did you do any special training for your role?
Brenton Thwaites: Just sword fighting. I had a few hand combat fights that we more or less on the day, and the sword fighting stuff, we trained three weeks before the principal photographer.
Q- Was there anything else you had to do to get prepared for the role? It’s kind of a period piece; it’s set back in the 1790ish area.
Brenton Thwaites: It [was mainly] accent stuff. I had to do a little acting work, but I’d done it many times before, so I kind of just started right in, you know, that British RP dialect.
Since filming the movie, Brenton has become a father to a little girl.
Q-So what is it like now that you’ve done a few Disney films, but having stuff that your baby’s going to see one day?
Brenton Thwaites: Well, it’s great being a part of Disney because as a studio, it really plays for the younger audiences, and I did a movie in 2014/2012- released in 2014 called Maleficent which is something I can’t wait for my daughter to see. Pirates may take a while just because it’s quite scary, you know? Maleficent is, as well, but I know there are moments in Pirates where I kinda even get scared. So I think it might take a while. I don’t know when- maybe until next year when she’s two.
Q- So what’s a typical day on set? What is sort of involved, how long are your days, etc.?
Brenton Thwaites: Typically a day on a set for me is- I get picked up eight o’clock, get out of the house at seven; I run down for a quick surf; I get out of the water at eight; rush home; I’m half an hour late. So my driver speeds down the highway and risks our lives trying to get to work on time. And then I get made up and sit in the trailer for five hours, and then we start working. (he has to wait for everyone else to get into makeup, and the sets are ready) He claims, I got better at playing my guitar very quickly.
Q-What is your hope that audience takes away from the film?
Brenton Thwaites: 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, I hope everyone takes something from it and connects with the characters.
Q-Speaking of set pieces, did you take anything from the set?
Brenton Thwaites: If I told you, I’d have to kill you. I didn’t, but if this ever gets back to the producer, I would’ve liked to have taken a rowboat because my mom’s in the corner over there; I told her, I told her before we wrap the movie, that I would bring her a rowboat home and make a veggie garden out of it.
How sweet is he!?
Brenton really does play a knockout role as Henry Turner. He steps right into being Will Turner’s son perfectly. Make sure to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in theaters May 26th.
