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First for Women

Johnny Depp Surprises Kids at a Hospital Dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow—See the Heartwarming Moment

Raquel Lekic
3 min read
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Johnny Depp first originated the role of Captain Jack Sparrow back in 2003’s The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The swashbuckling pirate is known for his sense of humor and constant pursuit of thrill and adventure, but Depp has been known to take the character far beyond the big screen. 

On September 26, the 61-year-old actor grabbed his pirate garb and headed to the Donostia University Hospital in San Sebastián, Spain while there for the San Sebastián film festival. Though he was there to promote Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, a film he directed, the actor made time for the patients in the Pediatrics and Oncology wards of the hospital, where he greeted them with exuberance and enthusiasm, surely brightening the tough days many of them were enduring. 


The actor is said to have remained in character for the duration of his visit, taking photos with patients and staff and lifting the spirits of those he interacted with that day. 

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From all the staff of the Donostia University Hospital, we would like to express our infinite gratitude to Johnny Depp for his time, his support and his energy, as well as to @sansebastianfes for having facilitated this visit," the hospital shared on their X account.  

Johnny Depp has visited hospitals as Jack Sparrow in the past

Depp has been known to make these kinds of visits in the past, spending time with children going through tough medical battles as his famed character to brighten their days. Back in 2017, he paid a visit to the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver as Jack Sparrow and once again, fully committed to his character to provide patients with a few hours of escapism and wonder. 

"He took the time to really engage with them and make them smile and laugh," said Patti Smith, a hospital spokesperson, to ABC News.

In 2015, Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales co-star Stephen Graham headed to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia in character as Jack Sparrow and Scrum, giving the children at the facility countless laughs and even a few gold coins. 

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"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," said Kossy Halemai to CBS News. Halemai’s daughter, Lanais, was hospitalized at the time of Depp and Graham’s visit after a heart surgery. "She's recovering well and to see her smiling—I was emotional and proud."

In an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Depp went into the details of why these efforts are so important to him. 

I’ve spent time in Great Ormond Street [a London children’s hospital] where I was the parent when my daughter was ill,” he explained, referring to his daughter Lily Rose’s 2007 E. Coli infection that eventually led to kidney failure. “I’ve known darkness in my life but that was the darkest period ever when I was doing Sweeney.”

“I’d always kind of done these visits, but after that, the visits became more and more important because the kids bliss, you know, they’re so strong, they’re so courageous, but the parents are the ones who are slowly dying. And to be able to bring a smile or a giggle to these people means everything in the world to me.”

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Maialen Lizundia Izagirre, Head of Communications for Donostia University Hospital, said, "In a situation of illness, anyone, but especially children, greatly appreciate a distraction of this magnitude. It was a breath of fresh air, a magical moment in which they forgot about their illness and were transported to the magical world of pirates. It was exciting, endearing and unforgettable for everyone."

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