Ryan Reynolds' Admission About Dad's Pneumonia Death Sparks Spirited Response Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Ryan Reynolds spoke out about the death of his father on Wednesday's episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and fans are reaching out to him. Reynolds' dad, the late Jim Reynolds, died in 2015 and was used by Reynolds to emphasize just how serious the coronavirus could be to even the strongest people. While Jim, a cop and boxer described as a "tough, tough man," obviously did not pass away due to COVID-19, he died due to one of the symptoms the virus can cause: pneumonia. Reynolds took a moment to call out those who aren't taking the pneumonia risks involved with COVID-19 seriously.

"I talked to somebody the other day. It was shocking to me because they sort of said that, they sort of felt like it's pneumonia. 'Oh this coronavirus, it causes pneumonia, and pnuemonia is not that big a deal.' But I can kind of speak to that," he said before sharing anecdotes about Jim's well-documented toughness. "But I'll tell ya what killed [my dad], pneumonia. Pneumonia got him in the end. Pneumonia is very serious. It can take out the toughest of us, and it certainly got my dad. So coronavirus is a serious thing. I keep seeing people - particularly young people - talk about it like it's not really their problem. And, my God, it's their problem.

"There are some beloved people who have compromised immune issues. There's elderly people that are beloved, not just loved in show business, but in life, too. We've got to do all we can. So yeah, scary times. But we're going to get through this somehow."

Reynolds rare words about Jim struck a chord with viewers, and they reached out in the form of YouTube comments to send condolences and shared their own brushes with the disease. Scroll through to see what fans are saying about the candid reveal.