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Ryan Reynolds Reveals How His Kids Helped Him Heal From His Dad's Death
Ryan Reynolds finds peace with his father's death through his relationship with his own children. He now raises awareness about Parkinson's disease, inspired by his father's 20-year battle.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of death.
Ryan Reynolds has found a more peaceful place regarding his father's death, nine years after the event. "Most men and boys have a complicated relationship with their fathers, but I think the healing or closure around my father actually comes more from my relationship with my own children," explains the Deadpool & Wolverine star.
James Chester Reynolds, who lived with Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years, passed away in 2015 at the age of 74. After his father's death, Ryan learned that hallucinations and delusions were lesser-known symptoms of Parkinson's. Since then, he has partnered with the educational campaign More to Parkinson's, which provides resources for patients and caregivers.
Ryan, the youngest of four, is now 47 and has four children with his wife, Blake Lively, 36: James, 9, Inez, 7, Betty, 4, and Olin, 1, whom the couple announced they were expecting in February 2023. Ryan says that becoming a father has helped him heal some of his past.
"My dad had incredible integrity. He never lied," Ryan Reynolds says, describing his father as a tough and stoic former police officer with a strong moral compass. "[It] always pushed him to do the right thing at the right time, even though he made a massive amount of mistakes, was not a great communicator, blew it, all kinds of stuff."
He continues, "But I blow it all the time, as do we all. It's funny that our parents are supposed to have such infallibility. So I do feel like part of that process and journey for me is with my own kids... I get to fill in those little gaps that maybe hurt me with respect to my own father." He explains that the more tense moments of parenting present those opportunities.
"It's my turn to show up. While my instinct is to shut down my kid when they act out or tell me I'm the worst, my father's instinct would be to retreat into silence, and that is not the way to acknowledge your child." In those tougher moments, Ryan works to lean into what's happening in front of him.
"My goal is to get down on their level and tell them that I believe them and that I'm here for them. At the same time, I'm willing to listen to them and feel whatever they're going through—but I can't always do what they're asking."
Instead of shutting down, Ryan says he strives to forge a connection, saying, "I'm going to stay with you until we can feel better. I may not be able to fix it, but I can definitely be there for you. That kind of stuff, I'm like, 'Oh, okay. I just weirdly didn't mean to, but I fixed something with my own dad.'"
Now that Ryan knows Parkinson's led to his father's hallucinations and conspiracy webs, he wants to speak out so that others can seek help.
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