Ryan Reynolds is a hero to many children, on- and off-screen.
On Monday afternoon, the 41-year-old actor shared a series of photos taken on the set of 20th Century Fox's Deadpool 2, thanking the Children's Wish Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation for introducing him to some very special families. "One of the best parts of playing the Big Red Jackass is welcoming @makeawishamerica and @childrenswishfoundation onto set. Deadpool kicked Cancer in the taint, but these kids do it for real every day. These foundations make dreams come true for a lot of super-brave kids," Reynolds wrote in his Instagram caption, adding that they "also make dreams come true for parents who just wanna see their kid smile."
Reynolds also thanked prop master Dan Sisson "for making sure every kid left with his/her own sword." He then clarified that the kids were given bamboo swords, not "stabby-stabby" swords. Adding a personal touch, he autographed each of the swords and included individual messages.
When Reynolds was filming the first Deadpool movie, the Make-a-Wish Foundation introduced him to a young fan named Connor McGrath. Sadly, the actor revealed two years ago that his 13-year-old friend lost his battle with cancer. "He was smart. He was funny. And not just funny 'for a kid'—or funny 'for a person battling something awful'. He was unqualified funny," he wrote in 2016. "He had that...thing. That thing you see in great performers or comedy writers."
"Because of his wish, Connor was the first person to see Deadpool. I traveled up to Edmonton, Alberta, to surprise him with a rough cut of the film. There were still huge sections with wires we hadn't yet painted out, jokes which weren't working (and still aren't) and green screens," he reminisced. "Connor didn't seem to mind. And I'd never felt luckier to get to be Wade Wilson."
Deadpool 2 premieres in theaters May 18.