Ryan Reynolds was named “Entertainer of the Year” at the Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday. During his acceptance speech, the Vancouver-born star dedicated his award to Toronto’s SickKids and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Reynolds’ character in “Deadpool” inspired him to make this special dedication.
“‘Deadpool’ was an 11-year odyssey for me to get up here, and it resonated with a lot of people,” he said. “The character had cancer and some of the people that this character resonated with were sick kids.”
The 40-year-old actor then paid tribute to two young fans in particular: “I would also like to dedicate this award to the memories of my friends Connor McGrath and Grace Bowen. They didn't lose the battle, they started a fight and it's up to us to finish it.”
Later in the evening, Reynolds also accepted the award for “Best Actor in a Comedy” and joked about his eldest daughter James’ first sentence.
“You're a huge influence,” the actor said to Tom Hanks, who was in the audience. “My 2-year-old daughter, the first full sentence she's ever said was ‘There's no crying in baseball.’”
Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively are also parents to a three-month-old girl, who they welcomed in September.
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