Pirates Of The Caribbean: Who Plays Davy Jones & What Does He Look Like In Real Life?

When the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise debuted in 2003, it delivered on its ghostly, seafaring premise. Audiences around the world were quickly assured that they best start believing in ghost stories, and with the help of some top-notch hair, makeup, and visual effects, the undead pirates came to life. For the 2006 follow-up, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," director Gore Verbinski concocted the franchise's most malicious and visually tactile villain yet in the form of Davy Jones.

Jones — based on the mythic nautical character of the same name — emerges as one of the most memorable characters in the franchise, and he returns for "At World's End" as well as in a cameo appearance in "Dead Men Tell No Tales."

For Bill Nighy, who plays Jones in all three films, the prospect of playing the character wasn't all that enticing. "I can't remember the reason for my reluctance around playing an octopus man in 'Pirates of the Caribbean,'" the actor told Vanity Fair. Verbinski managed to sell the part to Nighy on a phone call. "He said, 'Come on, how many times do you get to be in a pirate movie?' Nighy recalled. "I said, 'Well, what does he sound like?' And he said, 'Wet.'" Not the most encouraging proposition, perhaps, but it did the trick.

A veteran of the stage and screen, Bill Nighy made his on-screen debut in the 1970s, though it was his 2003 performance as an aging rock star in the Christmas classic "Love Actually" that made him a household name, followed by roles in "Shaun of the Dead," "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and "The Constant Gardener."

However, "Pirates of the Caribbean," was new territory for Nighy, who hadn't yet experienced the film's advanced technological effects that made his squirming tentacle beard come to life. "When I got [to set], I didn't realize that I wouldn't have a costume like everybody else," he said in the same Vanity Fair interview. "It turned out I had to wear computer pajamas with white bobbles all over them." It proved to be a trying experience for the esteemed actor, who struggled to socialize between scenes while "dressed as somebody who didn't get into Devo or something."

When Nighy saw the final product, he changed his tune. "When I first saw the creature, I was blown away." For their transformative efforts, the VFX team won an Academy Award for best achievement in visual effects.