johnny depp visits hospitals

Johnny Depp visits children's hospital dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow

Watch the touching clip and the kids' amazing reactions.

— -- Patients at the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver were treated to a swashbuckling good time Monday when Oscar nominee Johnny Depp showed up as Captain Jack Sparrow, his character from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Video taken of the special day shows Depp shaking hands with and hugging children currently being treated at the British Columbia hospital. A "Pirate Party" was also held in celebration.

Read: Johnny Depp Visits Children's Hospital Dressed as Jack Sparrow

"I have no sword, I come in peace," Depp jokes in the clip while greeting fans.

Depp, 54, never broke character during the five-hour visit.

Hospital spokeswoman Pamela Smith said her team got a call from Depp's reps a few weeks back, seeing if he could swing by in between filming a movie in town.

"We got the wheels in motion," she said. "And wanted to make it as quiet as possible ... Some of the people on my team didn't even know about it."

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But what stood out for Smith was Depp making an effort to visit each room and trying to meet all the kids, including those "in isolation."

"He took the time to really engage with them and make them smile and laugh," she added.

"I didn't wake up in the morning, knowing I was going to see Johnny Depp today!" one fan gushed.

This isn't the first time the actor has surprised children at a local hospital. While filming his last "Pirates" movie in Australia in 2015, he stopped by the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, hugging and meeting the children there as well.

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Johnny depp has been giving millions to children’s hospitals every year, for more than a decade.

For more than a decade, Johnny Depp has been using his fortune to save and improve the lives of struggling children.

Beginning in 2008, Depp began an annual donation of around one million pounds ($1.2M) to London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. The hospital is one of the largest centers for child heart surgery and heart transplantation in the world.

The hospital successfully treated his daughter after she suffered from temporary kidney failure in 2007, and Depp has made it part of his life’s mission to help other children who are dealing with difficult health issues which no child should have to face. He regularly shows up at children’s hospitals dressed as his character ‘Jack Sparrow’ to encourage and cheer up the hospitalized children.

“For me it’s a gift. They give me the gift,” Depp said. “When my daughter was ill in Great Ormond Street, it was the darkest period of my life. I’d always done these visits but after that experience the visits became more and more important.”

Depp also likes to take time out while filming his movies to visit the local children’s hospitals in the area. In Australia, he recently made a private visit to the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and photos emerged on social media.

Max Bennett had a nice chat with Depp, and his mother explained that he gave her son some “gold coins” which were engraved with pirate symbols.

“He was going from room to room seeing all the kids who couldn’t get out of bed,” Ms. Bennett said. “We waited out of the front of one of the rooms, and he came up to us and had a really good chat with Max.”

Depp spent hours in the rehabilitation ward as well visiting every child who was there; making sure no one was left out of his visit.

“He was taking his time to make sure he spoke to each and every one of them,” Ms. Bennett said. “It was really beautiful. Everyone kept on trying to move him on, but he kept on coming back. He was here for the kids.”

Johnny Depp’s compassion and philanthropy is known to extend far beyond children’s hospitals. When Depp replaced Heath Ledger in the film The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus in 2009, after Heath had passed away that year, the kind actor donated his entire fee for his role in the movie to Heath Ledger’s 2-year-old daughter.

Depp also regularly donates large sums to the children’s charity War Child , which provides assistance to children in areas experiencing conflict and the aftermath of conflict. They help support children in dealing with trauma, in overcoming their experiences, and in having a real chance at a better future. The kind charity is one of the few organizations which is actively helping the children fleeing the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Depp has helped countless children, and even received the Courage to Care award in recognition for his contributions to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles , which provides seriously ill children with medical care from some of the country’s best doctors, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Thousands of children are living a better life today thanks to the kindness and charity of Johnny Depp. If you’re also wanting to make a difference in the lives of hospitalized children, consider visiting The Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital   and making a donation.

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See Also: Let’s Cheer For This Brave Toddler Who Is Celebrating After Beating Stage 4 Cancer

View this post on Instagram ❤️ A post shared by Understanding Compassion (@understanding_compassion) on Jun 26, 2019 at 10:57pm PDT

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Johnny Depp Visits Children's Hospital in Australia Dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow

Johnny Depp may sport gold teeth to play Jack Sparrow, but it’s the actor’s gold heart that really makes him shine.

Johnny Depp with patient Max Bennett (Twitter)

Taking a break from filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in Queensland, Australia, the movie star made a surprise visit to the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital on Tuesday — in full buccaneer garb — to visit some of the young patients. Over the course of three hours, the 52-year-old actor and his co-star Stephen Graham, who plays Scrum, made a slew of new mateys.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation shared photos from the “special surprise visit” by the “two very famous pirates” during which they made “a real difference to sick kids and their families in hospital.”

The pictures showed the elated patients on the 11th floor of the hospital getting up close and personal with Depp’s dreadlocked and guylinered Sparrow, a character he modeled after a combination of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and cartoon character Pepé Le Pew. One girl had her hands over her mouth in delight as she met the actor.

Max Bennett, a 7-year-old with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder, was one of the youngsters to rub elbows with the Hollywood star. His mother, Rachel, told Australia’s ABC News that Depp “was going from room to room seeing all the kids who couldn’t get out of bed. We waited out of the front of one of the rooms, and he came up to us and had a really good chat to Max.” That included giving Max some “gold coins,” which were engraved with pirate heads. He handed out the coins to several of the patients.

Depp made ‘a real difference to sick kids and their families,’ according to the hospital. (Facebook)

Rachel added, “It was really beautiful. Everyone kept on trying to move [Depp] on, but he kept on coming back. He came on the condition that he wasn’t pushed along and crowded by adults and he could spend as much time as he wanted with the kids.”

Depp, who recently married Amber Heard, is known for making visits to sick kids in his Sparrow ensemble. For instance, in 2009, he wore his costume to visit children at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. He has a special fondness for the hospital — it was there that his daughter, Lily-Rose, was treated after she had E. Coli food poisoning, which led to kidney failure when she was 10.

Another patient, and his mom, with some 'gold coins’ Depp handed out. (Facebook)

Depp has said that even when he’s not shooting a Pirates flick, he brings his costume with him wherever he goes — just in case.

“Sometimes you go to kiddie hospitals and things like that,” the actor said in 2013 . “I’ll just sneak in and go and surprise a bunch of kiddies through the different wards… It basically turns into a two-, three-hour improvisation and it’s really fun. So I travel with Captain Jack.”

Depp and Stephen Graham (Facebook)

While Depp charmed the locals this time, his trip Down Under hasn’t been without drama. In May, he found himself in hot water after flying into Australia on a private jet with his Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo, and breaking the country’s strict quarantine laws. The dogs were subsequently put on a flight back to the U.S., but he faces fines and other sanctions .

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Johnny Depp Dresses Up as Captain Jack Sparrow for Virtual Visit to Children's Hospital

Johnny depp paid a virtual visit to the patients of queensland children's hospital dressed as his pirates of the caribbean character captain jack sparrow..

Johnny Depp is giving back.

On Friday, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor suited up in his pirate best to surprise the patients of Australia's Queensland Children's Hospital. Done in collaboration with Juiced TV to boost spirits in the wake of the pandemic , Depp reprised his famous character from the Disney film franchise Captain Jack Sparrow for his virtual visit, joining the event from a pirate-themed room and even made sure to speak with the character's accent.  

"It's been a couple of years since I've been there and I miss it and I wanted to say hello," he said. "It's a wonderful facility. I'm with all of you and I send you all my love, and all my irreverence and all my ignorance because it's fun to be ignorant and irreverent sometimes. And you deserve to be if you feel that."

"I'm with you always. I love you," he continued. "Thank you for sticking with me through all these very strange years."  

While connecting with patients Gabby , Asha and Thomas , Depp answered questions and played games. And in true Captain Jack fashion, there were some hilarious antics that ensued along the way.

"These three beautiful young people I've spoken with this evening…[this] is one of the finest and most beautiful experiences that I've ever experienced," he gushed. "And that is because of all of your commitment to this project and to also just taking care of one another, to helping out when times are curious and confusing."

Depp also took a moment to praise the hospital staff.

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"I must thank everyone who's made this virtual visit possible," he said. "But to be able to see Asha, Thomas and Gabby…and I have been there and I've seen the amount of forward motion and instant movement that goes down in your kind of facilities. You guys work—all the nurses, the healthcare workers , the doctors—you work like absolute heroes." 

Before signing off, he added, "But I thank you all for allowing me to have this time with you—either as Johnny or as Captain Jack."

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Johnny Depp meets with sick kids in character as Jack Sparrow

HE’S BEEN in the headlines lately for all the wrong reasons, but Johnny Depp stepped it up yesterday and warmed the hearts of some sick children.

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IT WAS the meeting of a lifetime for Ula Pryce-Davies.

The young Leukaemia patient met Johnny Depp at the Lady Cilento Hospital in South Brisbane on Tuesday night.

The 13-year-old said she was ecstatic to meet the star, even getting a peck on the cheek and a very special gift — directly from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie set.

“I got five coins but I gave a couple to a little girl going into surgery,” she said.

“She didn’t get to meet him and knowing he had given her that would have been special.

“You would be nervous if it was the first time you were having surgery.”

Ula said that Depp, for a character who didn’t shower much, smelt pretty good.

Miss Pryce-Davies was one of the many patients and staff who got a brush of fame with the visit from Johnny Depp.

Her mother Caitlin Pryce-Davies repeatedly thanked the Hollywood heavyweight for his visit.

“He was smiling and said ‘you’re so welcome’,” she said.

“Apparently it was all his idea ... That just makes me love him even more.”

The hospital visit came after fans got an insight into filming on the Gold Coast yesterday, when Hollywood and holiday-makers met in the middle of the Broadwater as Captain Jack Sparrow took a bow from the bow of a ghostly pirate ship beached at The Spit.

After almost six months of cloak-and-dagger filming on sets locked down by security patrols, fans of the multi-billion dollar Pirates film franchise finally got a birds-eye view of what goes on when cameras roll on the set of the most expensive movie ever shot in Australia — Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

While police on jetskis discreetly patrolled in front of the film set, boaties circled to cast a curious eye over proceedings.

Day 83 of Pirates 5’s 93-day shoot saw Johnny Depp’s pirate character Captain Jack Sparrow front and centre for scenes filmed around the now-familiar pirate ship The Dying Gull at “the finger” — a strip of sand bordering the area of The Spit known as Bum’s Bay.

Cranes and tractors, graders, screens, ropes, pullies, trolleys and hoists have been trucked on to the sandy point to turn it into latest set of the $300 million Pirates 5 movie.

Originally published as Johnny Depp meets with sick kids in character as Jack Sparrow

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Heart of gold: Johnny Depp visits Vancouver hospital as Jack Sparrow

Young patients at B.C. Children’s Hospital were given a surprise treat when Hollywood A-lister Johnny Depp paid them a visit this week.

Decked out as his swashbuckling “Pirates of the Caribbean” character Capt. Jack Sparrow, the actor spent several hours lifting young patients' spirits at the Vancouver hospital on Monday.

“Johnny Depp showed he has a heart of gold by spending more than five hours meeting one-on-one with every patient, from newborns to teens,” the hospital wrote on Instagram.

Depp donned full pirate costume and spoke to the children in full character while roaming the halls. He also posed for selfies and took part in foam-sword duels.

Logan Johnson-Lay, a 20-year-old relapsed cancer patient who was first diagnosed over a decade ago, served as the star's hospital tour guide for the entire visit. She said Depp did his best to make everyone he met feel special.

"He didn't just like slough you off, he took the time to engage with you," Johnson-Lay said. "It made me feel important."

Depp was also quick to plant kisses and offer hugs – a highlight Johnson-Lay said she won't soon forget.

"I definitely will remember that he kissed me," she said. "He's basically my boyfriend."

B.C. Children's Hospital told CTV News that Depp's people reached out and asked if staff would like him to make a visit. Deb Sweeney, chief strategy officer for the hospital, said the movie star's daughter spent time in a children's hospital years ago, and Depp never forgot the care she received.

"He wanted to give that back to us," Sweeney said.

Hospital officials hoped he might visit for a couple of hours, but were impressed to see Depp stick around until every child who wanted to meet him had a chance. During the meetings, Depp would whisper messages of encouragement into the young patients' ears, like "be brave" and "keep going,” Sweeney said.

Parent Jenna Montroy, whose three-year-old daughter Harlow has leukemia, described the event as "a day we will never forget."

"A wonderful ray of sunshine today," she wrote on Instagram. "So special and heartwarming to see my little baby smile."

Depp is in Vancouver shooting his new film "Richard Says Goodbye" and has been spotted in various locations across the city in the past month.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim  

Johnny Depp spent nearly six hours visiting with patients and their families at @BCChildrensHosp today. More on @CTVVancouver @ 11:30. pic.twitter.com/hbxSIZJ7Ec — Jordana Springgay (@CTVJordana) August 15, 2017

Johnny Depp visits a young patient at the B.C. Children's Hospital as his character Captain Jack Sparrow, from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films, on Aug. 14, 2017. (Instagram/BC Children's Hospital)

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Johnny Depp visits children's hospital as Captain Jack Sparrow

Actor spent nearly five hours taking photographs with patients and entertaining them and their families, article bookmarked.

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Johnny Depp paid a visit to a children’s hospital in Vancouver, Canada dressed as his character from Pirates of the Caribbean , Captain Jack Sparrow.

The actor was in Vancouver filming for a new comedy drama, Richard Says Goodbye, when he took time out to meet the young patients.

Depp wore his full costume and reportedly remained in character for his entire visit to the BC Children’s Hospital. He was there for nearly five hours.

The 54-year-old spent his time posing for photographs and entertaining children and their families, and having foam sword fights with some of the patients.

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BC Children’s Hospital foundation shared photos of the event to their Facebook page.

The hospital wrote: “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.”

BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only full-service, paediatric acute care hospital. They care for children who are seriously ill or injured. Last year, more than 86,600 children were treated at the Children’s Hospital.

• Charlie Gard medic hits out at 'soap opera' surrounding the court case

This is not the first time Depp has visited children in hospital as Captain Jack Sparrow.

In December 2016, the Hollywood star visited children staying in Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London ahead of Christmas. The actor’s daughter was previously admitted there in 2007 with kidney failure, and Depp claimed he returned to the hospital in character because it is ‘a gift’.

Speaking on the Graham Norton show then, Depp said “kids [in hospital] are so courageous but to be able to bring a smile or a giggle to the parent’s means everything in the world to me".

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Watch CBS News

Johnny Depp visits children's hospital in Australia dressed as pirate Jack Sparrow

By Jennifer Earl

July 8, 2015 / 10:54 AM EDT / CBS News

This is the day children will always remember as the day they met Jack Sparrow -- *Captain* Jack Sparrow.

Johnny Depp and co-star Stephen Graham, who plays pirate Scrum, took a break while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" on Tuesday to surprise patients at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.

The actors spent more than three hours visiting with children and their families.

The hospital shared exciting details and photos from the visit.

"Two very famous pirates made a special surprise visit to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital last night," the hospital staff wrote on Facebook . "Both actors flew in for the visit from the Gold Coast, landing in a helicopter on the hospital's rooftop."

Patients and families seemed to enjoy the famous pirates' company, sharing tales from their visit.

Kossy Halemai, whose daughter Lanais Malia, was in the hospital recovering from heart surgery during Depp's visit, said she was all smiles.

"For me and my family, it was a fantastic time to meet up and speak with Johnny Depp and put a smile on everyone's faces, especially my daughter," Halemai told CBS News. "She's recovering well and to see her smiling -- I was emotional and proud."

The Halemai family, as well as dozens of others, had no idea the actors were going to make the trip.

"It was a big surprise for all of us," Halemai said.

Bella Harry, a 12-year-old with osteosarcoma, was another lucky patient who got to meet the actor.

The Benefit4Bella Facebook group, a fundraising page for the young girl, said Depp spent 15 minutes sitting and chatting with the young girl.

"Little did Bella know, through all the excitement, Captain Sparrow would sit and chat with her one on one for 15 minutes," the fundraising group posted, along with several photos. "An amazing man to brighten up so many kids' day."

Pip Russell, managing director of Lady Cilento Children's Hospital's Juiced TV , a TV show "made by kids in the hospital for kids in the hospital," said the famous pirate even handed out some "loot," passing out gold coins to patients.

Despite the reward, the kids seemed to value Depp's company more than the gold "money."

"For any kids who were shy upon first meeting Jack Sparrow and Scrum, the characters soon made the kids feel very comfortable in their presence and had them smiling and laughing," Russell said.

As Captain Jack would say, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."

• Johnny Depp

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Johnny Depp Pays Virtual Visit To Children's Hospital As Captain Jack Sparrow

The 57-year-old reprised the role to lift spirits amid the pandemic.

Jake Massey

Johnny Depp has reprised his role as Pirates of the Caribbean protagonist Captain Jack Sparrow for a virtual children's hospital visit. You can see him in character below:

The 57-year-old actor donned the famous costume to lift spirits at the Queensland Children's Hospital in Australia amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In his cameo as the captain - which was live-streamed on Juiced TV's Facebook page - he said: "It's been a couple of years since I've been there and I miss it and I wanted to say hello. It's a wonderful facility.

"I'm with all of you and I send you all my love, all my irreverence and ignorance, because it's fun to be irreverent and ignorant. Thank you for sticking with me through all these very strange years.

"These three beautiful young people I've spoken with this evening and having heard from people who sent videos in, like little Ula, is one of the finest and most beautiful experiences that I've ever experienced and that is because of all of your commitment to this project and to taking care of one another and to helping out when times are curious and confusing."

He also took the opportunity to praise and thank healthcare workers at the hospital.

He said: "I must thank everyone who's made this virtual visit possible. I have been there and I've seen the amount of forward motion and instant movement that goes down in your kind of facilities.

"You guys work - all the nurses, the healthcare workers, the doctors - you work like absolute heroes.

"But I thank you all for allowing me to have this time with you - either as Johnny or as Captain Jack."

The value of children's hospitals is not lost on the actor, with his daughter Lily-Rose treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2007 after contracting e-coli poisoning.

Lily-Rose - now 21 - suffered kidney failure but eventually made a recovery.

Speaking about this period on The Graham Norton Show , Depp said: "When my daughter was ill in Great Ormond Street, it was the darkest period of my life. I'd always done these visits but after that experience the visits became more and more important.

"The kids [at the hospital] are so courageous but to be able to bring a smile or a giggle to the parents means everything in the world to me."

Topics:  johnny depp , Awesome , Celebrity , US Entertainment

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@ jakesmassey

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