Johnny Depp has reprised his role as 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 , 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.”