Many believe Ryan Reynolds deserves the greatness and the victory laps he has been making in Tinseltown all along. But if one were to ask Reynolds himself, he would probably namedrop at least a hundred names for pushing him to the pedestal he stands now. While Deadpool & Wolverine’s billion-dollar box-office run prompted him to go all out in handwriting the tributes for his crew, his latest win at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards arrived with a special homage to his mentor.

Though Reynolds has always been the conqueror of hearts, this time, he may have won a few more with his grounded mention.

This year, the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards Presented by Variety, celebrated the visionaries who propelled the cinematic blockbusters of 2024, including the screenwriters of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, and Shawn Levy. Rob Simonsen presented the award to pioneers, and after receiving the award, Reynolds paid tribute to his “mentor” Eric Gilliland in a beautiful speech. Beginning with his characteristic wit, he showered gratitude to Hamilton Awards and Variety for recognizing people like him.

Cutting short on his no-holds-barred comedy, Reynolds dedicated the award to Gilliland, stating, “I wouldn’t be standing here if not for that man.” Reflecting on their first meeting when the actor was only 19, he remembered how Gilliland liked him which made him like himself, in turn. Emptying his barrel of praises, Reynolds even recalled how Gilliland would invite him to the “writers’ circle that no high-school dropouts had any business being invited to.”

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Speaking about Gilliland’s unfortunate demise a while ago, the Canadian even induced his signature humor in his homage.

At the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, Ryan Reynolds’ heartfelt speech for Eric Gilliland may have been emotional but not without his penchant for leaving a smile on the audience. After his series of anecdotes of his history with Gilliland, Reynolds arrived at the shortcomings of his very “close friend,” like the fact that he was not that good at housekeeping, and definitely worse at “buying new shoes.” 

The actor also mentioned what set his friend apart from the rest of the world was his kindness and knack for showing up for people, no matter who they were. Calling him his “friend” and “mentor,” Reynolds recalled how Gilliland changed his life entirely. While the speech also had mentions for the rest of the screenwriters and collaborators who made Deadpool & Wolverine the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, it was the actor’s mention for his lost friend that tugged every heartstring.

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What do you think of Ryan Reynolds' tribute to Eric Gilliland? Let us know in the comments below!