Johnny Depp was very involved in the creation of the character of Jack Sparrow, even creating his look. In particular, he wanted his pirate to have very visible gold teeth.
But he anticipated problems with Disney officials, who are notoriously cautious when it comes to taking risks with the public’s sensitivity. A lousy pirate with gold teeth wasn’t veryfamily friendly.
To get his idea across smoothly, Johnny Depp then used the old tactic of asking for more, then compromising, and finally getting the thing he wanted from the start.
Before proposing his idea for gold teeth to Disney producers, he had (removable) gold veneers placed on almost all of his front teeth.
And he presented himself like this in front of the studio managers.
The reaction, naturally predictable, was clear: it was too much.
After a few tense exchanges, Johnny Depp graciously agreed to make a concession. Since all those gold teeth were disturbing, he was willing to remove half of them.
And Disney accepted the compromise, happy to have escaped disaster.