It may be difficult to separate Johnny Depp from his "Pirates" character Jack Sparrow, but the actor recalls a time before the boozy buccaneer became a household name.

"The films that I did prior to 'Pirates,' ... not everything but a lot of it, was sort of, by industry standards, not blockbuster stuff. So I wasn't ever blockbuster material," Depp said in Santa Fe, N.M.

But that isn't to say he didn't have fun during those years. "I've been lucky enough to be involved in some very small and different independent films … and I've been able to be involved in, you know, a couple of films that shocked everybody, especially me," he said.

Since 2003, Depp has played the flamboyant captain in four hugely successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, with a fifth installment slated for 2015.

The Golden Globe-winning actor who recently turned 50 plays Tonto in the Disney reboot of "The Lone Ranger," which opens Wednesday. He said his children, Lily-Rose, 14, and Jack, 11, can't wait to see it. "They're pretty excited about this one," Depp said while promoting the film in Santa Fe, N.M., where part of the movie was filmed.

"You know, of course, they thought it was insane when they watched me play Tonto, but now they're looking forward to this one."

Brosnan

When he's not busy making films, Depp said music is an inspiration. Writing, playing guitar and one-off performances with such artists as Keith Richards, Aerosmith, Black Keys, Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson keep his creative juices flowing.

Brosnan's daughter dies of cancer: Actor Pierce Brosnan's daughter has died from ovarian cancer. Charlotte, 41, passed away in London on June 28, after battling the disease for three years. Brosnan's first wife, Cassandra Harris, Charlotte's mother, died from the disease in 1991. Harris' mother died from the disease as well. In a statement to People.com, Brosnan said his daughter "fought her cancer with grace and humanity, courage and dignity." Cassandra is survived by husband Alex Smith, a 14-year-old daughter, Isabella, and an 8-year old son, Lucas.

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