Pirates of the Caribbean

Brenton Thwaites, the 27-year-old addition to Pirates of the Caribbean, makes his franchise debut in Dead Men Tell No Tales (in theaters Thursday night).

If the native of Cairns, Queensland, reminds you of his fellow Australian Heath Ledger — who also boasted a piercing smile — you’re not alone. The late Dark Knight actor had a huge effect on the budding star.

“He was one of the young actors at the time (appearing in) huge, big American blockbuster movies,” Thwaites says. “And he kind of instilled a hope in us young Aussies that we could come over and make it in America.”

American audiences got a taste of the actor in Lifetime’s 2012 TV remake of Blue Lagoon. Fans will also remember the hunky Aussie from his appearance as Prince Phillip in Maleficent and his role as Jeff Bridges’ rebellious apprentice Jonas in The Giver.

In the fifth installment of Pirates, Thwaites plays Henry Turner, the genetically gifted son of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), who partners with Johnny Depp’s Captain Sparrow in an effort to free his father, who has been fated to helm the ghost ship the Flying Dutchman for eternity.

Johnny Depp returns for a fifth time as Captain Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.’ Disney

A fan of the series, Thwaites was anxious his first day on the set, but eager to meet the man behind the pirate.

“You never knew what direction (Depp) was going to take a scene,” he says, describing the way Depp improvised dialogue when Henry tries to forge an alliance with a jailed Jack. “Every take, he would say something completely different and somehow manage to stay on track with the story.”

Though he learned a lot from Depp, it didn’t help with one element of filming. Thwaites had trouble fighting in high-heeled shoes. “All the ladies had to do it, but I had to do it in like tiny high heels — not anything to (write) home about, but I remember thinking, ‘This is really tricky.’ ”

In addition to meeting Depp, the movie introduced Thwaites to another important person: girlfriend Chloe Pacey.

The two met on Australia’s Gold Coast while Thwaites was filming. She was a roommate in a house share Thwaites found on Australia’s version of Craigslist, and they welcomed a daughter, Birdie, who turned one in March.

SOURCE: goo.gl/BtI5so