The stunt double Johnny Depp-ends on

Kiwi stuntman Kirk Maxwell has been diving in at the Depp end.

The 40-year-old Wellingtonian is one of the men behind movie star Johnny Depp's stunts in the latest two Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

"I was essentially the [12th] man. I had to learn all the fight scenes, ready to step up if they needed. There were a lot of big stunts in the movie. It was very risky. A couple of friends were hurt reasonably bad.

"The thought runs through your mind to pack your bag. It's tough seeing your friends get hurt like that."

The work involved swinging around movie-set rigs of make-believe pirate ships and citadels for the likes of Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow), Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), and Jack Davenport (James Norrington).

But with the latest instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise in doubt after the sacking of the Disney's head of studio, Maxwell said he did not know where he'd end up next.

"Johnny [Depp] was friends with him and has talked of not doing the fourth one."

Maxwell, who is married with two children, has worked on some of the biggest blockbuster movies over of the past decade.

He's also doubled for Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and did stunt work in King Kong.

"Lord of the Rings was definitely a highlight. Just the laid back atmosphere. The stars were in our playground and were much more laid-back and happy to chat during breaks."

Lord of the Rings was also the film that changed his life - not only his first big break but it also led to marriage.

"I was working in sales in Auckland and met a stuntman who wanted someone with some martial arts experience."

Maxwell, who had been training since he was a kid, met stuntwoman Sharon James on the set. They had known each other since they were 4 and living near Invercargill. "We had done the full circle and ended up both working on the same set."

Maxwell has so far resisted the urge to make the move to Hollywood. "New Zealand is a good place to raise the kids."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY