'It's a Tragedy He's Gone': Ryan Reynolds Mourns Death of Dear Friend of 27 Years Eric Gilliland

Best known for his work on 'Roseanne,' Gilliland passed away on Sept. 1 from colon cancer.

By Megan Behnke

Ryan Reynolds is mourning a longtime friend. The actor is among many paying tribute to producer and writer Eric Gilliland, who passed away on Sunday from colon cancer. Gilliland was most known for his work on Roseanne, and it was not long after the series that he met Reynolds. The Deadpool and Wolverine star took to his Instagram to share a lengthy message to his friend of 27 years alongside a series of photos.

"My friend (and friend to many) Eric Raymond Gilliland passed away Sunday," Reynolds wrote. "He was kind. And gentle. And funny as hell. And incapable of holding a conversation that was cruel or tore someone down. It's a tragedy he's gone and a tragedy more people won't have the chance to know him. had Eric as a friend for 27 years. He was the first bigtime meeting I had at the start of my career. He'd finished working as a writer on ROSEANNE and had a swank bungalow office on the Fox lot in LA. I was nervous as hell to meet him. I'd gotten into my cups the night before and the hangover wasn't helping. My head was pounding like crazy, but it was my stomach that worried me… I had those horrible little tell-tale burps. Badness was brewing."

"Eric wasn't how I imagined a seriously successful comedy writer," Reynolds continued. "I traveled all over the world with Eric. He introduced me to Vaudeville and Jack Benny and welcomed me into his friend circle of impossibly talented writers and performers. He was my university. He helped me grow and find my voice. And he did all of it while finding himself. Eric never stopped becoming Eric. He eventually moved to NYC and found a new gear. He walked everywhere. He had Swedish Glug parties. He appreciated old, forgotten things. He loved soup. Jesus Christ, the man loved soup. Go to his twitter account for proof."

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Eric Gilliland had a steady career in television over the years, working as both a writer and producer on numerous projects, even if it was only briefly. It's clear he made quite an impact on the industry and made many friends, making the loss even more heartbreaking. For Ryan Reynolds, he wasn't another colleague, but instead a genuine friend of almost 30 years.

"He was so approachable," Reynolds shared. "When he smiled, his nostrils flared and his eyelids lowered by half. Imagine Pixar, but Pixar is Eric's face. It felt like I'd known him forever. And there are hundreds, if not thousands of bartenders, cashiers and shopkeepers in dozens of countries who feel the same. When I walked out of that meeting at Fox all those years ago, I was hit with the undeniable urge to see him again. As soon as I'd finished violently throwing up in the rose bush outside his office, I popped back in and gave him my phone number. I also let him know I'd recently thrown up in the rose bush outside his office. This news seemed to please him. The rose bush died but Eric lived 27 more years."

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