Johnny Depp is Captain Jack Sparrow, and there’s no doubt about it. The actor has been linked to the enigmatic character since starring in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, beginning in 2003. But there’s one place besides the seas where he’s known for always appearing as the hilarious captain. Depp would visit hospitals dressed as the character to entertain the children being treated there. The act is selfless and kind, and Depp has a special reason for doing it: He knows what it’s like to have a child in a hospital.
Johnny Depp uses Jack Sparrow for good
The actor has visited hospitals since 2007. Depp wouldn’t recite any of the raunchy lines his pirate counterpart would say. Instead, the actor would simply say he wished to get “the lay of the land” with “first mates,” referring to the young patients. Depp would be sure to bring his full pirate ensemble, even his sword, which he actually left behind at one of his visits. In 2017, Depp was seen visiting the B.C. Children’s Hospital, and each child was given a chance to spend time with the actor.
“Patients at BC Children’s Hospital were delighted by a visit today with one of the world’s most famous pirates, Captain Jack Sparrow. Actor Johnny Depp showed he has a heart of gold by spending more than 5 hours meeting one-on-one with every patient, from newborns to teens,” the hospital’s official Instagram wrote in a post.
Depp can sympathize with the parents of these children, given that he was also once in the same place.
Lily-Rose Depp had a health scare as a child
Johnny Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose, was hospitalized in 2007 in London at the Great Ormond Street Hospital due to a severe E.coli infection. The infection resulted in his daughter’s kidneys’ temporary failing, but she made a full recovery. To show his gratitude, Depp came to the same hospital where his daughter was treated dressed as Sparrow, beginning this annual tradition.
During a sit-down interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her show, the actor commented on this further. “It’s actually great fun, it’s sort of like a three and half hour improvisation, you know,” he told the talk show host. When DeGeneres said that it was “sweet” what Depp does and asked if he did it often, he replied, “As often as I can.”
“Wherever I go, I bring Captain Jack in the box,” he joked. He continued, “You meet all these amazing kids who are dealing with adult illnesses. And you see this incredible courage on their faces, [but] it’s their parents who are just falling apart. So I don’t break character, I sort of just try to do as much stupid stuff as I can to make ’em laugh.”
It’s easy to see why doing it is so very important to Johnny Depp. And as for his daughter, she is currently following in both of her parents’ footsteps. The now-healthy 20 year old is a model and actress, who currently seems to have some romantic ties to her The King co-star, Timothee Chalamet.