Dear Captain Jack Sparrow ...

October 8, 2010 3:41 PM

"Hollywood star Johnny Depp has made an unannounced visit to a London primary school after receiving a letter from one of its pupils. The actor turned up at the school in Greenwich, South London, dressed as his Pirates of the Caribbean alter-ego Captain Jack Sparrow. He said nine-year-old Beatrice [Delap] had written to Captain Jack, asking him to lead a mutiny against her teachers."
posted by ericb (50 comments total)

In related news: Johnny Depp voted 'most powerful entertainer'.
posted by ericb at 3:46 PM on October 8, 2010

"Oh nuthin, what's up with you? Oh cool.......me? I'm just spendin' some time being The Best Person in the World is all."
— Johnny Depp
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:47 PM on October 8, 2010 [11 favorites]

(very possibly a real quote)
posted by Senor Cardgage at 3:48 PM on October 8, 2010

I like Beatrice's advice for other kids that want to meet their favorite star:

"If you don't give it a try, you'll never know."

Sage advice from Beatrice.
posted by marxchivist at 3:50 PM on October 8, 2010 [5 favorites]

God love him - and He must do, since He made him like he is.
posted by Abiezer at 3:50 PM on October 8, 2010

"Depp, who is currently filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at Greenwich's 17th-century Old Naval College, arrived in full Sparrow regalia and addressed the students in character at an assembly.

Accompanied by other costumed castmates, Depp read Beatrice's letter and performed as Sparrow for 15 minutes, singing pirate songs and dancing a few dead-man's jigs before counseling his pen pal that a full-on mutiny might get her into trouble. *

posted by ericb at 3:50 PM on October 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

Depp, who is currently filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" at Greenwich's 17th-century Old Naval College, arrived in full Sparrow regalia and addressed the students in character at an assembly.

Curses! I was excited about Depp/Sparrow supporting some sort of creative rebellion for it's own good. The dastardly deed was a ploy to plug an upcoming movie. Looks like the revolution still won't be televised.

Also, the thought of Depp dancing makes me uncomfortable and sad, due to the Futterwaken.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:53 PM on October 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

Aw, bless 'is little cottons
posted by jontyjago at 3:54 PM on October 8, 2010

Dammit. Just when I thought that the combined weight of the last 2 Pirates movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Alice in Wonderland had laid my Depp crush to rest!
posted by EvaDestruction at 3:54 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

'Maybe we shouldn't mutiny today, 'cos there are police outside monitoring me.'

That is an absolutely brilliant way around the whole mutiny thing. Depp is a great guy.
posted by Spatch at 3:57 PM on October 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

Awwwwwwwww.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 3:59 PM on October 8, 2010

*writes letter to Johnny Depp*
posted by contessa at 4:01 PM on October 8, 2010 [12 favorites]

In 2007 Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose (then 7 y.o.), was struck with an E. coli infection that began to cause her kidneys to shut down. After her recovery he wanted to thank the Great Ormond Street Hospital in Central London. He visited the hospital in November 2007 dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit and spent 4 hours reading stories to the children there. He later donated $2 million to the hospital in early 2008.
posted by ericb at 4:10 PM on October 8, 2010 [38 favorites]

*writes letter to Johnny Depp*

He's not a singing telegram, ladies.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:12 PM on October 8, 2010

Ok, all the ladies in my family, fine. This guy's awesome.
posted by mintcake! at 4:34 PM on October 8, 2010

He visited the hospital in November 2007 dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow outfit and spent 4 hours reading stories to the children there.

Eh, seems like he's really milking this whole Pirates shtick. You know, I bet the kids really want something from a little further back in Depp's repertoire, like Edward Scissorhands or Donnie Brasco. Spice it up a little, Johnny.
posted by fryman at 4:37 PM on October 8, 2010

Spice it up a little, Johnny.

"Now how many of you kids are fans of a little movie called Nick of Time?"
posted by Navelgazer at 4:38 PM on October 8, 2010 [11 favorites]

contessa: "*writes letter to Johnny Depp*"

I'm getting my entire 7th grade to start writing.
posted by dzaz at 4:43 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Beatrice later told "London Tonight" that Depp "gave me a hug and he said, 'Maybe we shouldn't mutiny today, 'cos there are police outside monitoring me.' "

Instilling a healthy wariness of cops in today's youth. Bless him.
posted by Capt. Renault at 4:47 PM on October 8, 2010 [8 favorites]

I knew there was a reason I liked this guy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:56 PM on October 8, 2010

Better as Captain Jack than as Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd...heck, Mr T probably lived not too very far from the school!

Always seems like a pleasant chap who really loves his work. Good on him.
posted by davidmsc at 5:01 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

He basically had me for life when he did that This American Life TV thing.
posted by gwint at 5:08 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know, I bet the kids really want something from a little further back in Depp's repertoire, like Edward Scissorhands or Donnie Brasco. Spice it up a little, Johnny.
posted by fryman at 5:37 PM on October 8 [+] [!]

Well, he could go undercover to a local high school and bust drug dealers. I hear there's one on Jump Street...
posted by arto at 5:18 PM on October 8, 2010 [6 favorites]

Do you think if I wrote to him as Hunter S. Thompson, he'd show up at my work in character?
posted by Ideal Impulse at 5:19 PM on October 8, 2010 [9 favorites]

He's not a singing telegram, ladies.

That's alright, it's not his singing voice we're after.
posted by contessa at 5:20 PM on October 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

Heh -- I just saw the BBC clip, and they had Bea read the letter.

She put in a P.S. -- "We have a plentiful supply of rum."

I don't know who I like more now -- Johnny Depp or Bea.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:25 PM on October 8, 2010 [5 favorites]

Johnny Depp makes me want to scream and cry like a Beatle fan.
posted by thinkpiece at 5:32 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dear Johnny Depp,

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Luv,
Sonika age twenty nine.
posted by sonika at 5:36 PM on October 8, 2010 [5 favorites]

Do you think if I wrote to him as Hunter S. Thompson, he'd show up at my work in character?


If he did I'm pretty sure you won't like how that weekend ends.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:40 PM on October 8, 2010 [6 favorites]

You know, I'm not really a big fan of his, but after he did this thing on This American Life I was convinced he's a decent guy.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 5:41 PM on October 8, 2010 [11 favorites]

It's them joyful mutinies that are the best! Arrr.
posted by effluvia at 5:44 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

I loved that he did that This American Life Episode. It was one of my favorite TV moments ever.

I don't get the attraction to him though. He's... sexless?*

*Yes, I am a lesbian.
posted by serazin at 6:25 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm totally going to write a letter to Jean Luc Godard and see if he'll lead a rebellion at my workplace.
posted by serazin at 6:26 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

I don't get the attraction to him though. He's... sexless?*

*Yes, I am a lesbian.

Um. CLEARLY.
posted by Brockles at 6:41 PM on October 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

You know, I'm a hetero-male, and even I get the attraction.
posted by signal at 6:57 PM on October 8, 2010 [4 favorites]

Just when I thought that the combined weight of the last 2 Pirates movies...

Avast! Avast, I says! Any actor involved in any movie what has the Marriage of the Swans as part of it, is a damn fine actor indeed... as that scene was seven kinds of ossum!
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:00 PM on October 8, 2010

Perhaps I'm just a freak. I don't get the Angelina Jolie thing either.
posted by serazin at 7:13 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

I was in London last week, in Greenwich, and saw the filming. Lots of horses. Lots of carriages waiting around to have horses attached to them. A really cool fake street coming off the Naval College, with Georgian jubilee type bunting everywhere.

I thought it was Dr Who because a lot of the backstage stuff had BBC logos on.
posted by Conductor71 at 7:17 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

When Jerry Orbach died, it was noted how he was liked by every actor he ever worked with. Literally. Every single one.

I'm guessing they'll say that about Johnny one day.
posted by Joe Beese at 7:36 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

aha! This explains the time I wrote a letter to the late William Blake, only to have Johnny Depp show up at my house 3 days later dressed as an Old West nerd offering to help me kill the white man.
posted by mannequito at 8:06 PM on October 8, 2010

I don't get the attraction to him though. He's... sexless?

*Yes, I am a lesbian.

Sorry, that's no excuse. I'm not saying that I'd go gay for Johnny Depp, but what I am saying is... um... okay... I guess that's exactly what I'm saying (don't tell my wife).

Perhaps I'm just a freak. I don't get the Angelina Jolie thing either.

I'm with you there. I look at Angelina Jolie the same way I look at Prince. I don't like the style, but I can recognize that it's done extremely well.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 8:50 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

When they were shooting Public Enemies in our neighborhood, every morning my boyfriend would drive to work past the trailers, he'd roll down his windows and shout "Johnny! Johnny!" (believe it or not, a gay punk kid in his mid 30s who did Rocky Horror in high school and opened a piercing place on his 18th birthday grew up crushing on Edward Scissorhands-- shocking, right?)

Now, whenever we see big movies filming in Chicago, he still yells "Johnny!" which is really disappointing this year when we knew Shia Labeouf is the best we could possibly get as a response.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:05 PM on October 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Man, seriously, to have been a fly on the wall when he started the conversation that lead to him doing this. This is exactly the sort of thing I love seeing supposedly respectable adults do.

Never grow up all the way - cause if you do, you die.
posted by strixus at 10:12 PM on October 8, 2010 [5 favorites]

In my letter, he shows up as William Blake from Dead Man and he reads me poetry. Kids these days...bunch of philistines.
posted by iamkimiam at 1:42 AM on October 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

oh movie stars! is there anything they CAN'T do?!?!
posted by kuppajava at 9:16 AM on October 9, 2010

i like what depp does in the pirate movies, and i always thought the commitment he gave that role as evidence of his generosity.

and i'll admit that i would go straight (for a little while, at least) for angelina jolie. i think she's more sincere than she's given credit for, and i find seeing her in any action role an incredible turn-on.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:10 AM on October 9, 2010

"She put in a P.S. -- 'We have a plentiful supply of rum'."

That's South London schools for you.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:19 PM on October 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know, I'm a hetero-male, and even I get the attraction.

Well, yeah, he's a pretty boy.

I'd still venture a guess that the hotness of Steve Buscemi > Johnny Depp for many of us on mefi...
posted by The ____ of Justice at 6:23 PM on October 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'd still venture a guess that the hotness of Steve Buscemi > Johnny Depp for many of us on mefi...

BLASPHEMER!

The only thing hotter than Johnny Depp is... well, Johnny Depp.
posted by sonika at 8:26 AM on October 10, 2010

Or perhaps a taller Johnny Depp.
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:41 AM on October 10, 2010