Ryan Reynolds reflects on late father’s Parkinson’s battle and its impact on their relationship

Ryan Reynolds has shared insights into his late father’s battle with Parkinson’s disease, revealing how the illness affected their relationship. In an exclusive interview with People, Reynolds discussed the challenges posed by his father James Chester Reynolds’ diagnosis and the subsequent impact on their family. Diagnosed when Reynolds was 22, his father lived with the disease for nearly 20 years before passing away in 2015 at age 74.

Reynolds, now 47, described his father as a tough, stoic man who rarely discussed his illness. “He said the word ‘Parkinson’s’ maybe three times as far as I knew,” Reynolds shared, noting that denial and hiding were common themes in their household. The actor explained that his father’s hallucinations and delusions, lesser-known symptoms of Parkinson’s, began about 10 years after his diagnosis and strained their relationship further.

“At the time I just thought, ‘My dad’s losing his mind,’” Reynolds recalled, explaining that his father’s delusions led to a breakdown in trust and communication. Reflecting on their relationship years after his father’s death, Reynolds admitted, “I wasn’t really accepting my own responsibility… I could have maybe been there with him toward the end, and I wasn’t.”

Reynolds, who has since become a father of four, shared that his own parenting journey has helped him heal from the past. He expressed gratitude for a letter he sent his father five months before his death, listing every positive memory and expressing appreciation. “I know for a fact it meant the world to him,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds also highlighted his mother’s role as his father’s primary caregiver, acknowledging the toll it took on her. He emphasized the importance of resources for caregivers, stating, “Caregiver fatigue is very real… I wish the resources that are available now existed or we knew about them then.”