Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Heartbreaking Regret He Has About His Father’s Battle with Parkinson’s – What He Wishes Was Available to Help

Ryan Reynolds is opening up about his late father’s battle with Parkinson’s disease and the profound lessons he’s taken from it — including the one thing he believes could have made a world of difference.

On Friday, April 25, the Deadpool & Wolverine star attended Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ panel in New York City for Parkinson’s Awareness Month, where he spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about his father James Chester Reynolds’ two-decade journey with the disease. James, a working-class father of four, passed away in 2015 at the age of 74, after living silently with the often misunderstood condition.

Reflecting on his father’s experience, Reynolds admitted he now sees his dad’s health struggles through a deeper, more compassionate lens. “A man with four children, working class, dealing with a disease that is degenerative and something that will one day render him physically unable to take care of himself or others — that is going to have a profound effect on the psyche,” Reynolds shared.

What pains Reynolds most is knowing that recent advancements in treating Parkinson’s symptoms, particularly hallucinations and delusions — two lesser-known but devastating aspects of the disease — could have dramatically improved his father’s quality of life. “I wish they were around when my dad was going through some of these things,” he said. “If there was treatment for that, if there was something available back then, I think his whole life would’ve improved. His sense of wellbeing would’ve been restored. His sense of reality would’ve been restored.”

James Reynolds, a man of few words about his condition, rarely even uttered the word “Parkinson’s” aloud, his son revealed. This stigma, Reynolds believes, only deepened the psychological isolation his father endured. It’s a key reason why the actor has partnered with the educational campaign More to Parkinson’s, aiming to offer resources and lift the veil of misunderstanding for patients and caregivers alike.

Reynolds also touched on the heavy burden carried by caregivers — a role he watched his mother, Tammy Reynolds, take on with resilience and quiet strength. “There is real caregiver fatigue,” Reynolds acknowledged. “When you have somebody who’s very prideful like that, he’s not going to accept help from anyone else. So I feel for them as much as I do the patients.”

Parkinson’s disease, as outlined by the National Institutes of Health, is a progressive brain disorder that impacts movement and can lead to symptoms ranging from tremors and muscle stiffness to depression, memory difficulties, and severe fatigue. These symptoms can worsen over time, dramatically altering not only the life of the person diagnosed but the entire family dynamic.

For Reynolds, the journey through his father’s illness has left a permanent mark — one that fuels his commitment to advocacy today. His message is clear: awareness, compassion, and access to modern treatments could change countless lives, sparing both patients and caregivers from the silent battles James Chester Reynolds had to fight alone.

Would you like me to also suggest a shorter social media caption or teaser for this article if you plan to promote it online?