The 'Deadpool 2' actor used to be afraid of dying before the family tragedy in which he and wife Leah Delaney lost their youngest son Henry to brain cancer in early 2018.

• Dec 9, 2020

AceShowbiz - Actor Rob Delaney has overcome his fear of death after losing his two-year-old son.

The "Deadpool 2" star and his wife Leah Delaney were left heartbroken in January 2018 when little Henry passed away after battling brain cancer, and having to face up to the tragedy - which occurred on Rob's birthday - has helped him reevaluate his feelings about meeting his eventual demise.

"I think about dying a lot and it always makes me feel good. Like many people I used to be afraid of dying," he shared on BBC Radio 4.

"But a little less than three years ago, our then-youngest son Henry died of a brain tumour. It so happens he died on the morning of my 41st birthday. Thus, that date's significance has been exchanged for something far larger and more powerful."

"I don't know where Henry went or what happened to him when he died, do you? But I know I'll get to find out when I die. At the very least I'll get to experience something Henry experienced and that's wonderful. That knowledge brings me peace. I won't say I can't wait because I can."

Delaney also reflected on how the loss taught him to be a better father to his three other boys with Leah.

He said, "Henry wasn't our only son and his death didn't make me love our other sons any less..."

"I don't know if Henry's death made me love his brothers more, but it certainly made me love them better. Because when I hold them, I know what they really are. They're temporary gatherings of stardust, just like Henry."

"They won't be here forever, they're here now and it is my staggering privilege to get to hold them, smell them and stare at them."