Ryan Reynolds Stepped Out of John Candy Doc Premiere to Call His Kids

Ryan Reynolds is taking a moment to appreciate his kids.

The 48-year-old actor attended the premiere of John Candy: I Like Me — which he produced alongside Tom Hanks’ son, Colin Hanks — at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 4. The new documentary celebrates the life and career of beloved actor John Candy, who died at 43 in 1994.

During a panel discussion following the screening Reynolds and Candy’s son, Chris, reflected on the importance of cherishing loved ones while you can. Chris, who was just nine years old when his father died, spoke candidly about how the documentary honors his father’s legacy.

“I think it struck me personally that people aren’t gonna be around forever,” Chris, now 40, explained. “Some people were leaving, and it was important for us to capture that story.”

Reynolds agreed, saying the experience hit home and reminded him to stay present with his family. “I stepped out during a couple of sections just to call my kids and say goodnight, I don’t even know why,” he shared. “I just see how fleeting [life] can be. Even if you’re sitting at a fancy premiere, you can step out for a second.”

The Canadian actor, who shares four children — James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, 2 — with wife Blake Lively, also praised Chris and his sister, Jennifer, for their openness and emotional honesty during the panel.

“It was remarkable; the story that you told and how you’re sharing your feelings about your father in such a sober light of day,” the Deadpool star said. “It was just really, really hard to do, I imagine, and beautiful. Thank you both for doing that.”

In a lighthearted moment, Reynolds also revealed how one of his children helped recruit one of the documentary’s biggest stars: Bill Murray. After several failed attempts to get Murray to agree to an interview, Reynolds joked that he resorted to bringing out the big guns.

“This is when my 2-year-old son just enters from [like] a horror movie, it’s 11:30 at night, this kid should be out cold,” the actor said. “He says something indecipherable, f—— 2-year-olds, and I said, ‘I’m sending a video to Bill, tell Bill to do the interview.’ ” 

Reynolds continued, “He looks right at the camera and he goes, ‘Do the interview, Bill.’ And I said, ‘Say no to a kid like that, then we’ll know what kind of a monster you are,’ and then I just hung up.”

Luckily, the strategy worked. “He called back and said, ‘What can I do for JC?’ and he showed up big time,” the actor shared.

The Toronto International Film Festival takes place between Sept. 4 and Sept. 14.