Words by Ryan Reynolds has one of the most recognizable voices in modern comedy: quick, self-mocking and always a beat ahead of the joke. Over three decades he has turned that voice into a film career, a marketing style that brands study, and a surprising second act as co-owner of a Welsh football club.
Early life
Reynolds was born on Oct. 23, 1976, in Vancouver, British Columbia, the youngest of four sons. His father was a food wholesaler and his mother worked in retail. He began acting as a teenager, landing a role on the Canadian teen soap “Hillside,” which aired in the United States as “Fifteen” on Nickelodeon.
Breaking through
After moving to Los Angeles, Reynolds found steady work in television. His big break came with the ABC sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” (later shortened to “Two Guys and a Girl”), which ran from 1998 to 2001.
The 2002 comedy “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” made him a film lead, and a string of roles followed in the 2000s, including “Waiting…,” “Just Friends,” “Smokin’ Aces” and “Definitely, Maybe.” In 2009 he co-starred with Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal,” one of the year’s biggest romantic comedies.
He also took on dramatic work. In “Buried” (2010), he spent nearly the entire film alone in a coffin, a performance critics singled out as proof of his range.
The long road to “Deadpool”
Reynolds first played the wisecracking Marvel antihero Wade Wilson in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009), in a version fans disliked. A year later “Green Lantern” (2011) disappointed at the box office, and Reynolds has joked about it ever since.
He spent years pushing for a faithful, R-rated “Deadpool.” When test footage leaked online in 2014, the enthusiastic response helped persuade 20th Century Fox to greenlight the film. “Deadpool” (2016) became a global hit and one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies ever, and Reynolds earned a Golden Globe nomination. “Deadpool 2” followed in 2018, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024), with Hugh Jackman, became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
Other hits include “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “Free Guy,” “Red Notice” and “The Adam Project.”
Businessman and marketer
Reynolds became known for short, funny ads that he often writes himself, produced through his company Maximum Effort. He took an ownership stake in Aviation American Gin, which was sold to Diageo in a deal reported at up to $610 million. He was also an owner of Mint Mobile, which T-Mobile agreed to acquire in 2023 in a deal valued at up to $1.35 billion.
In 2021, Reynolds and actor Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, one of the oldest football clubs in Wales. The FX documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham” followed the club as it won promotion out of the National League and climbed the English football pyramid in back-to-back seasons, turning a small town into an international story.
Personal life
Reynolds was married to Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2011. He met Blake Lively on the set of “Green Lantern,” and the two married in 2012. They have four children.
Reynolds has spoken openly about lifelong anxiety, describing how he uses humor and preparation to manage it. He has supported causes including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, after his father lived with the disease, and children’s hospitals in Canada and the United States.
Recognition
Reynolds received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016 and was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010. In 2021 he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, one of Canada’s top arts honors.
Legacy
Few stars have built a brand as consistent as Reynolds’. Whether he is promoting a film, a phone plan or a football club, the approach is the same: make fun of yourself first, and the audience will follow.
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