Piracy was lucrative work for Johnny Depp this year: E! Entertainment Television named the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl star as its entertainer of the year.

The US network bestows the award in a special on Monday night.

Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles, Colin Farrell, Will Ferrell, Queen Latifah and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among the other celebrities that E! found particularly intriguing this year.

Depp based his character, Capt. Jack Sparrow, on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

"I want my kids and my grandkids someday to be able to go, 'Yeah, Pops, he really held it together and he did the right thing," Depp told E!

"He didn't stray from the path, and he didn't sell out and go for the big dough early on or anything. I would be very, very proud if they felt that."