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Louise Thomas
Editor
Johnny Depp decided to surprise children in a nearby hospital while attending the San Sebastián Film Festival.
On Thursday, September 26, the 61-year-old visited the children of the Donostia University Hospital in San Sebastián, Spain, while dressing up as one of his most iconic characters, Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The actor was able to make an appearance after premiering his new film Modi - Three Days on the Wing of Madness, about the life of the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani in Paris during World War I. Modi marks the first film to be directed by Depp since 1997’s The Brave, which he also starred in alongside Marlon Brando.
The hospital posted on X (formerly Twitter) various pictures of the actor posing with children and speaking to them throughout his time there.
“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’s post read.
In a statement from Osakidetza-Basque Health Service, the hospital spoke about how much the children loved having Depp there.
“They have shared laughs and anecdotes, and he has helped them forget for a few minutes the difficulties they are going through at the moment,” they said. “It was a gift that brought joy to patients, families, nursing professionals, doctors, and all the staff who were working on the ward at the time.”
“From Osakidetza, and especially from all the staff at the Donostia University Hospital, we would like to express our infinite gratitude to Johnny Depp for his time, his support, and his energy, he has been a breath of fresh air for the entire ward.”
This isn’t the first time Depp has worn his Jack Sparrow costume to visit children in hospital. Back in 2015, he opened up about his daughter Lily-Rose spending nine days in London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she received treatment for kidney failure caused by E.coli poisoning in 2007, which he told Graham Norton was “the darkest period of my life.”
Since then he has returned to that hospital in his costume in an attempt to cheer up other children there. “For me, it’s a gift. They give me the gift,” he 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 continued: “The kids are so courageous but to be able to bring a smile or a giggle to the parents means everything in the world to me.”
