Ryan Reynolds reveals how writing his father a heartfelt letter ahead of his death helped bring him 'closure' Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] By Alesia Stanford For Dailymail.Com Published: 19:44, 17 August 2024 | Updated: 19:55, 17 August 2024 e-mail View comments Ryan Reynolds found comfort in sending his estranged father a heartfelt letter ahead of his death, at age 74.
Despite having a rocky relationship over the years, the Deadpool & Wolverine star, 47, revealed he wrote 'basically a list of every amazing thing he ever did' and mailed it to his dad, James 'Jim' Reynolds 'I sent my dad a letter probably about maybe five months before he died, which I'm very grateful I did,' the actor, who lost his dad to Parkinson's disease , told People . The Vancouver explained that the letter 'was basically a list of every amazing thing he ever did. Every time he showed up or every time he had a catch with me outside after baseball practice' and just 'every time he just was there.
' Reynolds went on to say that he, now, understands that it was hard for his dad to 'express express his emotions in a way that was dynamic, well, many people can't.' 'The guy was born in the '40s. It's okay.
So I'm super grateful that I sent that letter,' he pointed out. Ryan Reynolds has opened up about the closure he received in the months before his late father's death (Pictured in New York City August 6) Read More Taylor Swift 'hints' at surprises and special guest for TONIGHT's Wembley show 'I know for a fact it meant the world to him, and it went back from my earliest memories to present day or as close to present day as possible,' the father-of-four, who is married to actress Blake Lively , explained. 'So I did get that closure, but I wasn't with him when he passed away, and I do wish I was,' he said.
In an interview with Willie Geist on Today , the FI star recalled his dad suffered from a little known symptoms that affects about half of all Parkinson's patients, delusions and hallucinations. 'I sort of cast it as Oh, he's losing his marbles,"' Reynolds explained. 'Had I known, I think I would have handled it better.
' 'I think I would have been a much more patient person. I think my father would have felt way less alone.' Jim Reynolds died in 2015 after a 20 year battle with the disease.
Before his passing, Jim was able to meet the Reynolds' oldest daughter, James, who was named for her granddad. 'I love that she got to meet him, 'The Welcome to Wrexham star said. The actor wrote his father, Jim Reynolds, a letter of gratitude about five months before he died after a 20 year battle with Parkinson's disease in 2015.
'I know for a fact it meant the world to him,' he explained (Pictured with parents Tammy and Jim Reynolds in Los Angeles in November 2005 Reynolds and wife Blake Lively, 36, named their oldest daughter James after her granddad and was able to meet his namesake before his passing. 'I love that she got to meet him, 'The Welcome to Wrexham star told Willie Geist on Today The actor and his mom, Tammy, have partnered with the group More to Parkinson's and Acadia Pharmaceuticals to draw attention to the little known symptoms, including delusions and hallucinations (Pictured in Los Angeles in November 2005) He shares James, nine, Inez, seven, Betty four and a son, Olin, one, with wife, 36. 'Granddaughters would have really changed him,' the actor predicted.
Reynolds sits on the board of the Michael J. Fox foundation and has joined with the group More to Parkinson's and Acadia Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness about these lesser known signs of Parkinson's disease. 'I wish the resources that are available now to treat that part of Parkinson's existed, or at least we knew about it then, because it would've really given a lot of hope' he said (Pictured in New York City in June) 'My father was really slipping down a rabbit hole where he was struggling to differentiate between reality and fiction,' he told People.
'I wish the resources that are available now to treat that part of Parkinson's existed, or at least we knew about it then, because it would've really given a lot of hope.' Blake Lively Ryan Reynolds Share or comment on this article: Ryan Reynolds reveals how writing his father a heartfelt letter ahead of his death helped bring him 'closure' e-mail Add comment.
