Famous "swishbucklers" in film

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Aargh! Ahoy mateys! 'Tis National Talk Like A Pirate day. So we’re walking the plank here at AfterElton.com to bring you our short list of gay pirates in film.

Well, who knows if they’re actually gay or not – their orientation isn’t much discussed. But pirate characterizations do tend to skew towards the flamboyant, don’t they? What is it about pirate roles that make actors think they have to camp it up? We call them “swishbuckers," and here is our Rogue's Gallery of the breed.

We’re sure we’ve missed some, so drop your favorite scallywags in the comments!

1.Erroll Flynn as Captain Blood.

Captain Blood launched Flynn’s career and, arguably, it’s his dashing and somewhat flamboyant portrayal of the title character that set the mold for playing pirates onscreen. But what’s up with those extensions? He looks like Britney at the VMA’s.

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2. Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films

He's a relative latecomer in the field, but he has quickly become the gold standard for pirates in touch with their feminine side. Dirty fingernails and all, he's sorta hot.

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3. Robert deNiro as "Captain Shakespeare," the cross-dressing pirate in Stardust

Hey Robert, did we really need another swishbuckler so soon after Johnny Depp? Unlike, say, Travis Bickle, this is unlikely to be one of your defining roles. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you.

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4. Kevin Kline’s singing, dancing swashbuckler from Pirates of Penzance

It’s a Gilbert and Sullivan musical, for goodness sake, so Kline has some license to camp it up.

5. Any portrayal of Captain Hook.

Whether in the Disney animated film Peter Pan, or the live-action Spielberg-directed Hook, for some reason the good Captain always seems vaguely gay, and not in a good way. Doesn't help that he's always running around chasing after the lost boys, and the 2003 live-action Peter Pan (with Jason Isaacs) pushed Hook to chickenhawkish extremes.

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