There aren’t many things that will entice Jack Sparrow onto dry land, but supporting the good people at Great Ormond Street Hospital is definitely reason enough to cease the swash-buckling for one day.
Taking a break from his Hollywood schedule, Johnny Depp, the legendary actor that portrayed Sparrow’s uniquely unsteady demeanour, donned his Pirate hat once more and journeyed to Great Ormond Street hospital to cheer up the patients there, just in time for Christmas.
Although his character is more at home sailing the high seas, Jack Sparrow cut a fine figure as he visited the wards of the London children’s hospital, famous for the life-saving work it does for young sick children and their families.
While many of the patients are a little too young to recognise Johnny Depp or his alias, Jack Sparrow, the families and friends of the children got a well-deserved break from reality courtesy of the Walt Disney character.
Happily some of the teenage patient understood the gravitas of the situation.
One young woman tweeted a simple but effective summation of the surprise visit, saying ‘What the fuck’.
She also shared a photograph on Instagram, captioning it, ‘This is actual Johnny Depp. Just came in to the hospital. I’m so confused.’
Even the doctors were able to take a second from their busy, life-saving schedule to enjoy a selfie with the greatest pirate that has sailed the high seas since Long John Silver.
Great Ormond Street has a special place in the 53-year-old Black Mass actor’s heart after his daughter, Lily Rose, was treated there for renal failure in 2007.
Depp spoke about his Christmas visits to GOSH on The Graham Norton Show last December, saying:
For me it’s a gift. They give me the gift.
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.
During the festive period, GOSH invites favourite children’s characters to visit the children and bring a little magic to the treatment centre.
To get involved or donate visit the GOSH website and help Johnny Depp spread some cheer this year.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.