Michael Gagnon – Spirited Tribute Explained. We discuss the Apple TV+ movie Spirited and the tribute at the end for Michael Gagnon.
Ryan Reynolds‘ and Will Ferrell’s new Christmas movie Spirited is now streaming on Apple TV Plus. Featuring songs by La La Land‘s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the movie is a new take on the classic Charles Dickens story A Christmas Carol, now told from the perspective of the ghosts. After singing and dancing their way into our hearts, Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds finally wrap up the movie as they burst into one final song when the credits start to roll.
It might be the best song and the overall number of the movie, and after two and a half minutes, they finish their singing, and the screen goes to black. There is another song coming later, but in between, there is one title card: “In loving memory of Michael Gagnon.”
Who is Michael Gagnon?
Michael Gagnon was a truck driver who worked in the transportation department of several movies, including 2021’s Don’t Look Up and 2022’s Spirited. As revealed by an obituary posted on EverLoved.com, his life was tragically cut short on September 22, 2021. According to IMDb, the movie was shot between July and October of 2021 in Boston and Braintree, Massachusetts. Michael Gagnon was from Boston.
While there isn’t a lot of information online about him, we do know this is the Michael Gagnon that Spirited was dedicated to, as the first donation on the page was submitted by Ryan Reynolds on behalf of his production company Maximum Effort. The list of donors also includes Will & Viveca Ferrell, as well as director Sean Anders, who posted the following message:
“Mike was a much loved member of the best crew I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He will be missed and remembered.”
Names from other members of the Spirited crew also appear on the list. A photo of a truck with the American flag and flowers was also posted on the page as a way to mourn their colleague.
The obituary on the page reads as follows:
“Michael Gagnon, age 49 of Watertown, passed away on September 22, 2021. Devoted and loving companion to Melanie Guarino. Beloved father of Danielle Murphy & her husband Colin, Katie Gabler & her husband Zach, Amanda Gagnon and Christopher Gagnon. Cherished ‘Popo’ & ‘Coco’ to Caroline, Zoe, Lucas, Liam & Logan. Dear brother of Paul Gagnon & his companion Alecia and Brian Gagnon & his wife Kerri. Treasured son of the late Paul & Elizabeth (Schiavoni) Gagnon.”
What do the end credits of the movie Spirited say about Michael Gagnon?
Besides his “In loving memory of” message, Michael C. Gagnon is credited as “Transportation Co-Captain,” as it can be read during the second end-credits song. We haven’t been able to find any mention of Gagnon in interviews by the cast and crew of the movie Spirited, though they might just be respecting the family’s privacy on the matter.
Was Michael Gagnon an actor?
No, he was a member of the transportation crew on several films and TV shows, including the 2022 film Spirited. There is an actor named Michel Gagnon, who, according to IMDb, appeared in 1983’s Au clair de la lune. That same profile also lists him as a member of the sound department on an episode of the TV series Relic Hunter, which, interestingly enough, Spirited‘s Michael Gagnon also worked on for three episodes.
Our thoughts go to Michael Gagnon’s family, who was apparently a beloved member of his community.
