Captain Richard Phillips is the main protagonist in Captain Phillips. He is played by Tom Hanks, who also played Woody in Toy Story, Paul Edgecomb in The Green Mile, Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump, John H. Miller in saving private ryan, Mr. Rogers in a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and Hero Boy in Polar Express.
Background[]
On April 6, 2009, the U.S. Maritime Administration issued an advisory, based on NATO recommendations, urging vessels to stay at least 600 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. Despite this, on April 8, four Somali pirates boarded the Maersk Alabama about 240 nautical miles southeast of the Somali port city of Eyl. The vessel, carrying 17,000 metric tons of cargo, was en route from Salalah, Oman to Mombasa, Kenya, with 5,000 metric tons of relief supplies for Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. Captain Richard Phillips, in an area known for pirate activity, had told his crew it was a matter of when, not if, they would be targeted.
According to Chief Engineer Mike Perry, the crew of the Maersk Alabama managed to sink the pirates' speedboat by repeatedly swinging the ship's rudder, swamping the smaller vessel. As the pirates boarded the ship, the crew locked themselves in the engine room. They later captured one of the pirates, Abduwali Muse, and held him in the engine room for about 12 hours after overpowering him and injuring his hand. The crew initially tried to swap Muse for Phillips.
The pirates attempted to leave the ship with Phillips in the Maersk Alabama’s rescue boat, but it wouldn't start. The crew then lowered a lifeboat to exchange prisoners and boats. Muse was handed back to the pirates, but they reneged on the deal and took Phillips with them instead. The lifeboat was equipped with ten days’ worth of food, water, and basic survival supplies.
In response, the U.S. Navy dispatched the destroyer USS Bainbridge and the frigate USS Halyburton to the Gulf of Aden. They arrived on April 9, and Maersk Alabama left the area under military escort toward its original destination, Mombasa. On April 11, the ship arrived in Mombasa with a 18-man Marine security team aboard, while the FBI secured the ship as a crime scene.
Phillips remained captive in the lifeboat for five days. On April 9, a standoff began between the pirates and Navy officials, with Muse leaving the lifeboat to negotiate while the three remaining pirates continued to hold Phillips hostage. On April 12, after receiving reports that Phillips' life was in immediate danger—one pirate had reportedly pointed an AK-47 at his back—Commander Frank Castellano of the Bainbridge ordered Navy SEAL Team Six snipers to engage. The SEALs killed the three pirates with headshots, and Phillips was rescued. Muse was taken into custody and later pleaded guilty to piracy, kidnapping, and hostage-taking, receiving a 33-year prison sentence.
After the ordeal, Phillips returned to sea in June 2010, resuming work as captain of the vehicle carrier M/V Green Bay. He retired in October 2014.
Trivia[]
- He is both compassionate to his crew and shows empathy towards the pirates.