Ryan Reynolds Honors Late 'Friend and Mentor' Eric Gilliland, Who Gave a 'Scrawny, Hungover 19-Year-Old' a 'Break'

Reynolds paid tribute to Gilliland, who died from complications of cancer at age 62 on Sept. 1, during his speech at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards

Ryan Reynolds is using a special moment to memorialize a dear friend.

While accepting a screenwriting honor for Deadpool & Wolverine during the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, presented by Variety, Reynolds paid tribute to TV writer and producer Eric Gilliland, who died from complications of cancer at age 62 on Sept. 1.

"I want to dedicate this very fine honor to a writer, to one of my closest friends, Mr. Eric Gilliland," Reynolds said on stage at the event, held in Los Angeles on Thursday, Nov. 14. "I wouldn't be standing here if not for that man."

The actor, 48, recalled meeting the "magical" Gilliland almost three decades ago, "when I was a scrawny, desperately hungover 19-year-old kid."

"I didn't really know who I was yet. I was trying on personalities like they were shirts, and Eric liked me, and that made me like me," he continued.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

According to Reynolds, Gilliland introduced him to "greats" like Jack Benny and Buster Keaton, and "invited me into writers' circles that no high-school dropout had any business being invited to."

The IF star joked his late friend "had many shortcomings," quipping, "He was not great at housekeeping, not great at buying new shoes ... He hung in there until his feet looked like they were somehow wrapped in a foxhole from World War I."

"But Eric's prime virtue was that he was kind and that he showed up for people. He showed up for everyone, and he didn't care if you were a waiter or busboy or movie star, and I hated that," Reynolds continued.

He added, "He modeled a way of being for me when I was probably at my most impressionable, and I think, to varying degrees of success, I have tried to live up to that impossible standard that Eric set. He was as good at being brilliantly funny as he was at being a friend and mentor."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Related: Ryan Reynolds Surprises 8-Year-Old Cancer Patient in Boston Hospital — and FaceTimes Hugh Jackman!

Gilliland was a TV writer best known for his work on Roseanne. He eventually became the show's executive producer, and later, a consulting producer for series like That '70s Show and The Connors.

Following Gilliland's death, Reynolds said during his speech Thursday, he'd "probably be quite alarmed to learn that we held a memorial for him last week in New York City with 300 of his best friends, paid for by the proceeds of his estate."

"His memorial was a testament to a man who lived life just about as beautifully as any life could possibly be lived," he continued. "And it really reminded me of what I love most about this business, and it's that we all get to work together. We get to create things together."

Reynolds concluded by noting how much Gilliland "inspired so many people to be the best version of themselves," ending with, "And so if you run into a scrawny, desperately hungover 19-year-old who recently threw up in the rose bush outside your office, give that kid a break."