Ryan Reynolds went to great and expensive lengths to ensure that his depiction of the comic book character Deadpool on the big screen was as true to form as possible. The actor has revealed that he splashed out $10,000 to buy permission to use the late actress Bea Arthur's picture in the film. "As a producer, I had to approve that $10,000. But you can't have a Deadpool movie without Bea Arthur," said the star in the film's DVD commentary.
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Fans of the comic book series know that the character of Wade Wilson/Deadpool has a huge obsession with the Golden Girls show and the actress who brought the character of Dorothy Zbornak to life. And with Ryan taking his role as producer and star of the action flick very seriously, he stopped at nothing to ensure that the movie included a special nod to the late screen star.
The Canadian star, who is expecting his second child with wife Blake Lively, reached out to Bea's estate to ask for permission to screen a picture of the actress on a t-shirt. The estate agreed under the condition that the money be donated to a charity of its choosing.
Deadpool has been a passion project for the Vancouver native, who is currently in pre-production for the hotly anticipated sequel. In addition to being a massive hit at the box office, the movie, according to Ryan, has made an even greater impact on children battling cancer.
"A lot of kids have been reaching out because they look up to Deadpool. They love this character Wade Wilson because he's basically given his diagnosis and flips like a bird, and that's something a lot of these guys and girls really relate to," said the actor during a press conference for the film's DVD release earlier this year.
One fan whom Ryan formed a special bond with was Alberta teen Connor McGrath, who tragically lost his battle with cancer in April. The actor penned an emotional letter on Facebook in honour of Connor, writing, "I'm grateful I got to orbit Connor's world for a brief time. Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us. Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39 year old."
