When 17-year-old Ryan Burris found out he was going to meet actor Ryan Reynolds, he started packing right away.
Burris, who lives with his family in the northern New Brunswick city of Campbellton, had two weeks’ notice that the trip to see Reynolds at Steiner Studios in New York City was happening. But the visit was a long time coming.
At a brain tumour fundraising walk in early 2019, Burris and his family discovered he qualified as an applicant for the Make-A-Wish foundation, which has a branch in every Canadian province.
His wish? To meet Ryan Reynolds, the Canadian actor behind Deadpool, one of his favourite super heroes.
“He seemed like a good fit to me because he was very funny,” Burris said.
Burris’s wish came true, and the trip was planned for 2020 — but then the pandemic hit, just a couple of days after the visit was supposed to happen.
Two years later, Burris finally got to meet Reynolds. His family made the trip to New York earlier this month.
He remembers what he was thinking the moment he arrived: “I’m really here after two years of waiting, and [I’m] really happy to meet him.”
Burris and family spent a few hours at the Brooklyn studio. Reynolds took them on a tour of the set, and they spent a couple of hours watching him film a scene.
“We got to meet other people, directors, everyone that was implicated in the movie, so that was nice to see that perspective also,” said Burris, who was asked not to share more details about the film.
Reynolds, who Burris said was a “really nice guy, really funny,” took photos with the family and signed a few things for Burris, including a graduation shirt from his high school.
The family got to spend a few days in New York City, touring the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and Times Square. Since returning home, Burris said family and friends have been excited for him.
“It was a really fun experience,” he said.
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