Ryan Reynolds Pays Tribute to 13-Year-Old ‘Deadpool’ Superfan Who Died of Cancer

Yahoo Celebrity Contributors

Ryan Reynolds honored one of his biggest fans on Thursday after the teen lost his battle with cancer.

The 39-year-old actor first talked about Connor McGrath, a 13-year-old Canadian boy he met through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, in February. At the time, Ryan surprised the teen with a special screening of Deadpool. Sadly, in a heartfelt Facebook post, Ryan revealed that the boy died on Tuesday.

“For three straight years, my friend Connor McGrath drop-kicked cancer … Not sure how … Maybe the cancer cheated … But the fight came to an end two nights ago,” Reynolds wrote in an emotional post. “He went way too early and it’s impossible to reconcile. Connor was a great friend, a great son, and a light to the people lucky enough to know him. While repeatedly punching cancer in the balls, he made everyone laugh.”

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Ryan Reynolds with Connor McGrath, who passed away on Tuesday. (Photo: Facebook)

Ryan recalled Connor’s good humor. “This kid … He was smart. He was funny. And not just funny ‘for a kid’ — or funny ‘for a person battling something awful,’” he wrote. “He was unqualified funny. He had that … thing.”

The actor also reflected on their tight bond. “I called Connor ‘Bubba.’ And he called me ‘Bubba2,’” Reynolds shared. “We met because he loved Deadpool. In a certain sense he WAS Deadpool. Or at least everything Deadpool aspires to be; balancing pain, fearlessness, love, and a filthy (filthy!) sense of humor in one body. I wish he could’ve stuck around a lot longer.”

Still, Ryan is thankful for their time together. “I’m grateful I got to orbit Connor’s world for a brief time,” wrote the actor, who is expecting his second child with wife Blake Lively later this year. “Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us. Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39-year-old.”

Check out the video to hear more of Ryan’s letter, and tune in to The Insider With Yahoo on TV tonight for the latest in entertainment news.