Ryan Reynolds Reflects on His Relationship with His Late Father and a Sentimental Letter He Sent Before His Death

Ryan Reynolds, well-known for his role in 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' recently shared his emotional journey with his late father, James Chester Reynolds. As Reynolds, now 47, has matured, he has become more introspective about their once-strained relationship. Through the past decade, during which he has welcomed four children with his wife, Blake Lively, Reynolds has come to terms with his identity and his role in their complex father-son dynamic, People prepared.

James Reynolds, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 74, battled Parkinson’s disease for nearly 20 years. The former police officer rarely spoke of his condition at home but progressively became more distant due to the disease's psychological effects, including delusions and hallucinations. Ryan remembers thinking his father had lost his mental faculties, only learning after his death about these lesser-known symptoms of Parkinson’s.

A few months before his father's passing, Ryan decided to write a heartfelt letter recounting every wonderful memory and kind act his father had done, from playing catch to always being there for him. Reynolds emphasizes how important that letter was in conveying feelings and closure he otherwise might not have had a chance to express. He acknowledges that while his father, born in the '40s, might not have openly expressed his emotions, the letter meant the world to him.

Reynolds candidly shares how a tense upbringing in Vancouver contributed to his childhood anxiety, describing his father as a volatile presence—a "skin-covered landmine." He recalls how easy it was to believe they could never see eye-to-eye. Reflecting now, he knows he could have made more effort to meet his father halfway, rather than letting their relationship languish. Their estrangement in James's final years is something Reynolds grapples with today.

Naming his eldest daughter after his father is one way Reynolds honors the good in James, particularly his unyielding integrity and moral compass. Reynolds is committed to using his platform to raise awareness and support for Parkinson’s, partnering with the educational campaign More to Parkinson’s to provide resources for other families facing similar challenges. He lamented that had such resources been available earlier, they could have offered his father much-needed hope during his decline.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Zoë Kravitz discussed the painful move to dad after her parents' split.