Actor Ryan Reynolds Salutes Burn Survivor Who Idolizes Him
Young man who dressed as Reynolds "Deadpool" character says the actor's praise changed his life.
While actor Ryan Reynolds might not be a superhero in real life, his portrayals of characters like the Green Lantern and Wolverine on the silver screen have inspired millions of viewers around the world.
One of Reynolds' biggest fans is Jadient, a burn victim from Millington, TN, who recently posted a few photos of himself cosplaying as Deadpool, another one of Reynolds' iconic roles in the X-men film series, on social media.
The photos feature Jadient (whose real name is John Quinn) dressed in the red and black latex costume Reynolds' character wears in the movie, complete with a sword backpack and Deadpool belt with the masked hero's logo on the buckle.
Jadient suffered burns to 95% of his body when his dog knocked over a candle in a barn he was playing in when he was four years old. His doctors didn't think he would survive, but after being placed in a coma for six months and completing extensive physical therapy, now 21-year-old Jadient says he's feeling stronger than ever.
Taking on the identity of Deadpool, who is badly burned in one of the movie's pivotal scenes, was easy for Jadient – although, he doesn't wear the mask nearly as much as his potty-mouthed antihero.
"I wanted to be authentic as possible, and that was to not wear a mask," Jadient wrote in an Instagram post. "It's so easy to cover up who I am, and to give in to despair. Deadpool just makes me not care about that stuff and show my true self."
Jadient tagged Reynolds in his post and said it would be a "dream come true" for the actor to see his photo. Reynolds responded on Twitter in his typical, unfiltered fashion and said the young man's post "made his year."
Reynolds also complimented Jadient's ability to do a real split – something Reynolds said he could "only do once a year…in the lobby of a hospital."
When Jadient realized his idol responded to his post, he shared a heartfelt reaction and thanked his followers for helping to get the word out and get Reynolds' attention.
Reynolds (pictured on left) starred in the superhero film Deadpool in 2016. Screen Geek
"Ryan Reynolds knows I exist and I can sleep at night as the happiest dude ever hahaha this is so cool," he wrote. "I love you all so much. I couldn't of done it without all your support."
Check out Jadient in action at a convention where he cosplayed as Deadpool...

video c/o YouTube
We love this so much! Jadient and Reynolds are BOTH superheroes as far as we're concerned.