When he wasn't posing alongside his namesake counterpart Ryan Gosling and acknowledging his hero Tom Hanks at the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles last Sunday night, actor Ryan Reynolds was targeting women's (and men's) hearts everywhere in a mission to melt them with his compassionate and loving acceptance speech, one heartbeat at a time.

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In an emotional speech after winning awards for both Best Comedy Actor and Entertainer Of The Year for his role in Deadpool – a film that the actor spent more than 10 years trying to get off the ground – the Canadian-born star took to the podium to thank his wife and 'for no reason at all, I suppose my children'.

More importantly, the Green Lantern star dedicated his award to the memory of children who have died and are currently fighting cancer.

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As his character Deadpool suffered with cancer and with the knowledge that the storyline resonated with so many children diagnosed with the disease, Reynolds said:

I would like to dedicate this honour to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the SickKids Foundation of Toronto, two incredible organizations that do so much for so many kids in need.
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'And I'd also like to dedicate this award to the memory of my friends, Conor McGrath and Grace Bowen,' who were two children the actor befriended and continue to serve as sources of inspiration for his work with Children's hospitals and charities.

'They didn't lose the battle. They started a fight and it's up to us to finish it,' he added.

Wise words, Ryan.

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Katie O'Malley
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.