The Wrexham co-owner has opened up about his relationship with his father, who suffered with Parkinson’s disease

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds (Image: Getty Images)

Hollywood actor and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has opened up on the “great sadness” he still feels following the death of his father from Parkinson’s disease.

The 49-year-old, who bought Wrexham AFC with Rob McElhenney in 2021, spoke candidly in an emotional interview with Good Housekeeping about his late father James and the devastating impact Parkinson’s had on his family.

Reynolds revealed his father struggled to speak openly about his illness and described how the condition left him feeling isolated and ashamed.

“My dad really struggled with vulnerability,” Reynolds said.

“You would think a diagnosis would bring you a sort of relief, but to him, it was treated as a source of shame. He said the word ‘Parkinson’s’ maybe three times in his life.”

The Deadpool star explained how his father later experienced hallucinations and delusions linked to the disease, something the family had not been prepared for.

“The fact that what my dad saw was so complex — it must have felt so real to him,” Reynolds said.

“How isolating and lonely. If he’d been able to include us all in what he was feeling, we could have been a real source of empathy.”

Reynolds also admitted there remains one particularly painful regret after his father died aged 74.

“I have a great sadness that my kids never got to meet him,” he said. “My oldest daughter James was born right before he died.”

The Wrexham co-owner also reflected on the emotional toll the illness placed on his mother Tammy, who became his father’s full-time carer as his condition worsened.

“My mom just really lost herself,” Reynolds explained. “It’s a terrible tragedy to be in the position that she was in.”

Despite their complicated relationship, Reynolds said there were still “real shining moments” with his father that remain deeply emotional for him today.

“There were a lot of real shining moments,” he said. “I still to this day get sort of emotional about all these little things.”

Reynolds has worked closely with Parkinson’s charities and awareness campaigns in recent years, including alongside Michael J. Fox, whose public battle with the disease helped his father feel less alone.