A film school graduate with a background in commercials, director Gore Verbinski brings a unique visual flair to every project he touches. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean swashbucklers The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest and At Worlds End.

Born March 16, 1964, in Tennessee, Verbinski began making 8mm films in high school and was shooting videos for alternative bands by the time he graduated from college. Soon after, he began directing commercials, winning four Clio Awards for his efforts.

Verbinski made his directorial debut with the 1997 Disney family comedy Mouse Hunt, which he followed in 2001 with the Julia Roberts/Brad Pitt romance The Mexican. It was the 2002 thriller The Ring, however, that cemented Verbinski's reputation as a bankable director and the 2005 dark comedy The Weather Man that signaled his versatility.