LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s beloved ‘pirate’ Johnny Depp surprised the audience at the D23 Expo 2015, where he and Star Wars director George Lucas, were honoured with a Disney Legend Award for bringing a world beyond imagination onto the big screen.

The actor, popular as Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Carribbean franchise, came onto the stage of the event in Anaheim on August 14, and left the crowd enamoured.

“I don’t know why I’m here,” Depp quipped after receiving the honour, adding that he “never really likes the word ‘fan’ because it implies that someone is above and someone is below”.

“I would say that you are my employer. Thanks for giving me this opportunity. I’m honoured to be a (Disney) legend,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lucas shared a trivia about his popular space saga Star Wars.

“Disney has given me a lot of inspiration through the experience I had with their movies, television and art. I refer them as catalogs. In fact, here’s a secret — Goofy (a cartoon character) was the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks,” Lucas said.

D23, a three-day biennial event, which is being held in Anaheim Convention Center, has attracted hordes of Disney fans who walk around the venue in costumes of princesses, superheroes, villains or even in a Star Wars avatar.