Ryan Reynolds honours 'unforgettable' heart and soul behind his success

Ryan Reynolds is reflecting on his late friend and mentor, Eric Gilliland's tragic death in a heartfelt tribute.

During his speech at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, the 48-year-old actor paid homage to his old pal Gilliland while he accepted a screenwriting honour for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Speaking of his late mentor, who died from cancer on September 1, the Deadpool actor said on stage, "I want to dedicate this very fine honor to a writer, to one of my closest friends, Mr. Eric Gilliland. I wouldn't be standing here if not for that man."

Recounting an instance from the past, he revealed that he met the 'magical' Gilliland over three decades ago, "when I was a scrawny, desperately hungover 19-year-old kid."

"I didn't really know who I was yet. I was trying on personalities like they were shirts, and Eric liked me, and that made me like me."

He didn't hesitate while gushing about his friend, a force to be reckoned with.

The Green Lantern star, who recently showed up for a Deadpool fan suffering from a rare form of cancer, detailed on the Roseanne writer's legacy.

He went on to add, "He modeled a way of being for me when I was probably at my most impressionable, and I think, to varying degrees of success, I have tried to live up to that impossible standard that Eric set. He was as good at being brilliantly funny as he was at being a friend and mentor."

On professional front, Gilliland was a TV writer who rose to fame after his work on Roseanne.

He later tried his luck with production as he became a consulting producer for series like That '70s Show and The Connors.