Ryan Reynolds has handed the truth about producer Eric Gilliland’s life following his demise on Sunday, September 1.
In quite a detailed Instagram post, he addressed the late celebrity’s persona.
The actor wrote, “My friend Eric Raymond Gilliland passed away. He was kind. And gentle. And funny as hell. And incapable of holding a conversation that was cruel or tore someone down.”
“I him as a friend for 27 years. He was the first bigtime meeting I had at the start of my career. He’d finished working as a writer on ROSEANNE. I was nervous as hell to meet him,” he added.
Then, Ryan Reynolds summed up how his deceased pal had no air of pride from being a big penman for Hollywood, having delivered Welcome to New York, That ‘70s Show, My Boys, and other such funnies.
He went on, “Eric Gilliland wasn’t how I imagined a seriously successful comedy writer. He was so approachable. Imagine Pixar, but Pixar is Eric’s face. It felt like I’d known him forever.”
The star recalled travelling over the world with him and subsequently being introduced to Vaudeville and Jack Benny’s inner friend circle, which was full of talented performers.
“Eric Gilliland never stopped becoming Eric Gilliland. He was my university. He helped me grow and find my voice. And he did all of it while finding himself,” he noted.
Recalling their first meeting again, Ryan Reynolds said, “I gave him my phone number. I also let him know I’d thrown up in the rose bush outside his office. The bush died but Eric lived 27 more years.”
He concluded this tribute by adding four great moments from his personal time with the late figure.
