True story, Johnny Depp wanted to originally have Captain Jack Sparrow have the tip of his nose capable of falling off. Also the tip would be black/blue due to poor circulation because somehow the tip got bit off in the past. Then the running gag would be his only true threats are pepper and the common cold. That..isn't a joke either.
True fact about pirates in real life: in the movie the one guy figures out Jack is a pirate because he has a "P" branded on his arm, but in real life they'd usually brand the "P" right on your forehead.