Remembering Eric Gilliland: Ryan Reynolds and other comedians pay tribute to the late comedy writer who lost his battle with cancer at age 62
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains mentions of death.
Eric Gilliland, a comedy writer best known for his work on The Conners and Roseanne passed away at the age of 65 following a battle with colon cancer. Tributes for the veteran TV writer and producer have been flooding in. On Sunday, however, Gilliland’s close friend Ryan Reynolds wrote a moving tribute for him.
The Deadpool and Wolverine actor took to Instagram on Tuesday, September 3, to remember their time spent together and express his grief over Gilliland’s demise. Reynold’s 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.”
The heartfelt post was accompanied by a carousel that showed the late comedy writer’s solo photos in the first two slides, his picture with Reynolds in the third, and a group photo with Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively and director Shawn Levy on the last slide.
Illinois native Gilliland started his career in comedy after earning his degree from Northwestern University in 1984. His work as a writer for the popular ABC comedy Roseanne, which he contributed to from 1992 to 1996, left a lasting impression on television writers.
He soon rose to the position of executive producer for the show, and he subsequently produced shows including My Boys, The Connors, and That ’70s Show as a consultant producer.
During his career, Eric Gilliland was recognized with several awards. He received a 1994 WGA Award nomination for his work in Roseanne. In 2019, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work on the children’s show The Was Was? Show.
The co-creator of Modern Family, Steve Levitan, also posted his memories of Gilliland on Facebook. Levitan thought back to their time in high school, remembering how they took part in plays and comedic sketches, and he thought about how they both loved classic comedy.
Mark McAdam, Campside Media producer and a longtime friend, tells PEOPLE that Gilliland first met him while working as a writer’s assistant on Roseanne. “Eric was the Pied Piper of friendship Teachers, chefs, artists, West Village residents, and Hollywood elite were all easily connected by him, and he gave us all a sense of belonging.”
With Gilliland’s passing comes the end of a distinguished career that made a lot of people laugh. His contributions to television and his skill at creating amusing, captivating content have made a lasting influence on audience and other authors.
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