BEST uncle ever!

US comedian and actor Doug Stanhope has raised the bar for favourite uncles around the world after surprising his niece by flying her from the US to Australia to meet Johnny Depp for her 19th birthday.

Mr Stanhope and his blue-haired partner Amy “Bingo” Bingaman posted photos on Facebook this week documenting their journey from Bisbee, Arizona, all the way to the Gold Coast to spend a week hanging out with Depp.

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“A surprise trip to Australia to hang out with our buddy Johnny Depp for our niece, Sidney, on her 19th birthday! Johnny’s been in on the secret the whole time. Ha! Happy birthday Sid! WaHOO!” Mr Stanhope posted on July 1 after pulling off the elaborate ruse.

media_camera Sidney Stanhope, Amy Bingaman and US actor and comedian Doug Stanhope on their way to Australia to visit Johnny Depp. Picture: Facebook/Doug Stanhope.

Mr Stanhope’s niece flew from her Rhode Island home to Tucson to spend what she thought was going to be two weeks in Bisbee, Arizona, with her uncle and aunt to mark her birthday.

Instead, Mr Stanhope enacted a meticulous plan that saw the trio board a Virgin Australia flight to Brisbane. The couple even managed to keep the real reason for their trip from the birthday girl once they landed Down Under.

“My niece thinks we’re going to see kangaroos, and dressing up to take formal photos with them. Plausible,” Mr Stanhope wrote before taking the birthday girl to the Pirates of the Caribbean set to meet his buddy Depp.

“Did I say “birthday” with a kangaroo, my niece? Ooops. I meant “week” with Johnny Depp. My bad,” Stanhope wrote.

media_camera Amy Bingaman, Johnny Depp and Sidney Stanhope, whose uncle Doug Stanhope surprised her with a birthday trip to Australia to meet Depp, on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Picture: Facebook/Doug Stanhope.

The family also spent time with Depp at his Gold Coast base at Mick Doohan’s Coomera compound.

“Sunrise from our balcony! What a great trip with our niece, Sidney! Having dinner at Johnny’s house tonight. I’ll do my best to put up more pics, but they have to be approved by Johnny’s people. Big thanks to the Depp’s for making this happen! So fun!” Ms Bingaman wrote on Facebook on July 1.

media_camera Sidney Stanhope (in red dress), whose uncle Doug Stanhope surprised her with a birthday trip to Australia to meet Johnny Depp, visits the set of Pirates of the Caribbean with her uncle's partner Amy Bingaman. Picture: Facebook/Doug Stanhope.

The posts prompted scores of fans to ask if Mr Stanhope, host of Comedy Central’s The Man Show, would like to adopt them.

Renowned for his gruff, booze-soaked voice, Mr Stanhope’s stand-up shows are surly, cynical but insightful rants with underlying social themes.

Local Depp fans eager to meet Depp will get their chance next week when the Pirates cast and crew spend three days filming at The Spit.