Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds
Name	Ryan Reynolds
Caption	Reynolds in 2023
Birth date	23 October 1976
Birth place	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation	Actor, producer, entrepreneur
Spouse	Scarlett Johansson (m. 2008; div. 2011), Blake Lively (m. 2012)

Ryan Reynolds. Ryan Reynolds is a Canadian actor, producer, and entrepreneur renowned for his charismatic, often comedic performances in a wide range of film genres. He achieved global superstardom for his portrayal of the irreverent antihero Deadpool in the 20th Century Fox film series, a role that cemented his status as a leading figure in contemporary Hollywood. Beyond acting, he is a successful business investor, co-owning Aviation American Gin, Mint Mobile, and part-ownership of Wrexham A.F.C. with fellow actor Rob McElhenney.

Early life and education

Born in Vancouver, he is the youngest of four sons in a family with a background in law enforcement and retail. He attended Kitsilano Secondary School in Vancouver, where he began to cultivate an interest in performance. His early professional work included roles on the Canadian teen soap opera *Hillside*, distributed in the United States as *Fifteen* on Nickelodeon. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career more aggressively, forgoing formal university education in favor of immediate immersion in the entertainment industry.

Career

Reynolds's early film career consisted of comedic roles in projects like National Lampoon's Van Wilder and *Just Friends*. A significant turning point was his performance in the 2009 thriller *The Proposal* alongside Sandra Bullock, which was a major commercial success. He later took on more dramatic and action-oriented roles in films such as *Buried*, *Safe House* with Denzel Washington, and the superhero film *Green Lantern*. His career-defining achievement came with the 2016 *Deadpool* film, a project he championed for years, which broke numerous box office records and was celebrated for its meta-humor. He reprised the role in Deadpool 2 and will continue it within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His production company, Maximum Effort, is also behind many of his projects and advertising campaigns.

Personal life

Reynolds was married to actress Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2011. He married actress Blake Lively in 2012, and the couple has four children. They are known for maintaining a relatively private family life, splitting time between residences in New York, Los Angeles County, and Bedford, New York. In 2020, he and Rob McElhenney completed a widely publicized takeover of Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C., documented in the FX series Welcome to Wrexham. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts, including support for Water.org and the SickKids Foundation.

Filmography

A selected list of his prominent film roles includes *National Lampoon's Van Wilder* (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), *The Proposal* (2009), *Green Lantern* (2011), *Deadpool* (2016), The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), *Deadpool 2* (2018), Free Guy (2021), The Adam Project (2022), and *Spirited* (2022). He has also provided voice work for animated features such as The Croods and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.

Awards and nominations

Reynolds has received numerous accolades, including a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in *Deadpool*. He won a Saturn Award for Best Actor for the same role. His work as a producer on *Deadpool* also earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the promotional short film *Deadpool: No Good Deed*. In 2022, he was honored with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his contributions to Canadian culture.

Public image and media

Frequently described as possessing a sharp, self-deprecating wit, Reynolds is highly active and influential on social media platforms, particularly Twitter, where his promotional style and personal humor have garnered a massive following. His savvy marketing for his films and business ventures, such as Aviation American Gin, is considered a benchmark in modern celebrity entrepreneurship. The documentary series *Welcome to Wrexham* further elevated his public profile, showcasing his commitment to community and sport. He is consistently ranked as one of the world's highest-paid actors by publications like Forbes.

Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian male television actors Category:21st-century Canadian businesspeople