Ryan Reynolds pays tribute to late Deadpool fan with a sweet birthday message

Ryan Reynolds posted touching tributes on social media to his teenage friend who died earlier this year of cancer.

The 39-year-old actor took to Twitter on Saturday to remember the Canadian boy, who was a Deadpool fan and got to see the movie early before his death in April.

'Connor McGrath woulda been 14 tomorrow. Thnx to @MakeAWish for placing me in his life. He made mine better. Love to his folks, Kim & Gerald,' Ryan tweeted along with photos of him and Connor.

Birthday tribute: Ryan Reynolds took to social media to remember a late Deadpool fan on what would have been his 14th birthday

Birthday tribute: Ryan Reynolds took to social media to remember a late Deadpool fan on what would have been his 14th birthday

Missed: The Deadpool star thanked the Make A Wish Foundation for bringing them together. Connor was the first to see Deadpool at a special screening before he passed away in April

Missed: The Deadpool star thanked the Make A Wish Foundation for bringing them together. Connor was the first to see Deadpool at a special screening before he passed away in April

Ryan, who welcomed his second child last month with wife Blake Lively, also wrote lengthier tributes on Facebook and Instagram as he noted Connor's birthday.

'He isn't here now, but he stuck around long enough to make everyone he knew fall over laughing. 

'Right up to the very end he was as quick with a joke as he was with a hug,' he posted.

'@makeawishamerica brought us together and nothing - not even a cowardly, f***faced thing called cancer can take that away,' Ryan added.

Made his wish: The actor, shown in August in New York City, noted that the Make A Wish Foundation brought him and Connor together

Made his wish: The actor, shown in August in New York City, noted that the Make A Wish Foundation brought him and Connor together

The actor also sent 'crisp high fives and bear-hugs of love' to Connor's parents and urged people to support their local Make A Wish Foundation.

Ryan revealed in February that Connor was 'the first person ever to see the Deadpool film'.

The actor said in a Facebook posting that he'd traveled to Edmonton Alberta to show Connor the movie at his hospital six weeks earlier.

Connor was diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July 2013.

Hit movie: Ryan is shown in a still from Deadpool that Connor saw before anyone else

Hit movie: Ryan is shown in a still from Deadpool that Connor saw before anyone else

Ryan also remembered Connor in a long and poignant Facebook letter he wrote in April just two days after the boy's death.

He said they traded funny texts and he called Connor 'Bubba', while Connor called him 'Bubba2'. Ryan ended his lengthy letter by writing, 'See ya down the road, Bubba.'

Deadpool was released in February and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with a worldwide haul of $786.2 million. 

A Deadpool sequel will begin filming in early 2017. 

Record breaker: Brianna Hildebrand and Ryan are shown in a still from Deadpool that earned $786.2 million at the international box office and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie

Record breaker: Brianna Hildebrand and Ryan are shown in a still from Deadpool that earned $786.2 million at the international box office and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now