Too weak to do much of anything mere months ago, actor John Reardon flexed his muscles for a shirtless photo he posted on March 12, 2025, after overcoming tonsil cancer. His wife, fellow Hallmark Channel star Meghan Ory, celebrated his resilience with thousands of fans and adorably deemed her hunky hubby a “smoke show.”
The vulnerable image, taken by photographer David Hamilton at a recent photo shoot, showed Reardon standing in the shadows, shirtless with arms wrapped around his torso as he looked down at the ground. Friends and fans flooded the comment section with praise, inspired to see him soldiering on after a difficult year.
In early February, Reardon, 49, shared that his doctors had cleared him to start working again, declaring him cancer-free.
Meghan Ory Celebrates Husband John Reardon Being ‘Healthy’
Reardon, whose roles include starring on the Canadian TV series “Hudson & Rex” since 2019, disclosed his cancer journey on Christmas Eve 2024, sharing the news in a joint social media post with Ory. Though the couple had starred in Hallmark November holiday movie “Believe in Christmas,” they filmed it in May, before his diagnosis.
The months after turned out to be harrowing, he shared in his December post, revealing how his family helped him try to keep his strength up throughout treatment. His dad, he wrote, “took me for a walk everyday even when it was hard for me to get out of bed – and I’m sure hard for him to see his son in pain.”
So, seeing Reardon in another light — looking contemplative and strong in his shirtless photo — thrilled many, including Ory. She first replied by writing, “Yowza!!!!!” and followed that with another comment that said, “Healthy!!! F@$ing smoke show”
Within hours, over 12,000 followers had “liked” Reardon’s photo, including fellow Hallmark stars Benjamin Ayres and Laura Vandervoort, with many thanking him for being an inspiration.
One fan wrote, “This photo makes a bold statement without any words. It’s so powerful and humbling. Thank you, John, for speaking for vonerability and expressing your strength. I think this is one of my favorite photos of you. Looking at it, I get tears in my eyes”
Ory replied to the comment, “That is beautiful.”
“This is a true photo of strength, resilience, and humbleness,” another person wrote. “(It) shows a man who was dealt a hand that wasn’t the greatest, but he came out of it a better man and human being, a man others can look up to and admire. A true selfless man! We love you John and are so glad that you’re now healthy and strong!”
Ory also replied to that comment, writing, “this is the most generous and lovely sentiment”
John Reardon Also Shared His ‘Favorite’ Photo Since Cancer Journey, Taken by His Son
Reardon has shared multiple photos of himself since disclosing his cancer journey — including many of him and Ory as they film themselves renovating their 120-year-old home for a YouTube series. But his favorite photo, which he shared on February 28, was one taken by the couple’s seven-year-old. The proud dad said the photo “has fast become my favorite photo of myself.”
“My seven year old son started making short films with his own camera a couple years ago,” Reardon told his followers in the caption. “The other day he said ‘Dad – I want to take a really nice photo of you’ and I said let’s do it!”
Noting that he loved his son’s photo “because my smile is real,” Reardon told his followers, “This is one of the first photos of me after I had finished my treatment and now I am cancer free.”
“I’m back to work, back to playing sports and most importantly back to making short films with my son,” he continued. “I feel limitless appreciation for all my family and friends. All my doctors and everyone who sent me well wishes and kindness.”
Ory shared a screenshot of her husband’s post in her Instagram feed and wrote, “@johnny_reardon_ you inspire me everyday. You handle every bit of adversity (of which there’s been a lot) with such grace and kindness. I love you #f—cancer forever.”
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John Reardon Inspires Fans With Shirtless Pic After Cancer Journey: ‘Photo of Strength’