Ryan Reynolds has been acting since the early ’90s and has moved his way from television to films to superhero blockbusters over the years. He has been known for everything from cult comedies like Van Wilder to romantic comedies to superhero films and yet always seems to stay one of the most down-to-earth actors in the industry. Even though he is married to another celebrity, Blake Lively, he is very skilled in keeping his personal life private. Since everyone loves him, check out 10 things you didn’t know about Ryan Reynolds!
10. Tough Family
Ryan Reynolds has opened up about his “complicated” relationship with his dad, stating his dad was pretty tough on him and his siblings growing up, but with four boys he kind of had to be. As the youngest of the boys Ryan always said he was “more of a moving target than a sibling” and his brothers are tough too. Two of them have become police officers.
9. Early Relationships
Many tend to forget that before his marriage to Scarlett Johansson in 2008, he was engaged to Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, but many more don’t even realize he was in a high-profile relationship before that. In 2001, Reynolds met Rachael Leigh Cook who starred in She’s All That, and although they hit it off, she had to immediately fly to Britain to film Blow Dry. Ryan was so enamoured with her, he cleared his filming schedule and followed her to London as a surprise and they dated for a year!
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8. Green Lantern
Critics were pretty harsh on Reynolds for his other superhero role as Green Lantern in 2011, and as it turns out he didn’t particularly like working on the film either. He has stated he didn’t have a great working relationship with the film’s director Martin Campbell, and has also said the film’s failure was a relief because he did not want to play the role again.
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7. Being Canadian
A lot of fans forget or don’t even realize that Ryan Reynolds is in fact Canadian. He was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia and started his career by starring in the Canadian teen soap Hillside or Fifteen. About his Canadian status he once jokingly stated, “I’m not a hockey fan, which is probably why I had to leave Canada in the first place.”
6. Missed Roles
Reynolds was offered the starring role of Xander Harris in the hit teen series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997 but declined; the role then went to Nicholas Brendon.
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5. Risk-Taker?
When he was 19 Reynolds decided to try skydiving but unfortunately his parachute failed to open on the first attempt which has forever caused a fear of flying for the star. He stated he then spun out of control and then pulled the reserve parachute, [But] you can’t steer the reserve chute, because it’s round, so I landed like seven or eight miles away from the actual drop zone and I was sure I was going to land in power lines and I thought, ‘What a way to go: you survive a grand malfunction skydiving to burn to death.”
Debbie VanStory
4. Accidents
He apparently didn’t learn his lesson from skydiving and in 2002 he severely injured his back jumping from a bridge in Zurich, Switzerland. Then in early 2015 he was a victim of a hit-and-run while in Vancouver filming Deadpool. A paparazzo struck the actor with his car while driving through an underground parking garage, but luckily Reynolds was fine.
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3. Falling In Love
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are the most adorable couple together, and while many assumed they began dating after getting to know each other on the set of Green Lantern, Reynolds recently revealed the awkward way they fell in love. Reynolds insisted they were just “buddies” when filming the movie together six years ago, but sparks flew when they went on a double date…with other people. “About a year after Green Lantern had come and gone and we were both single and we went on a double date – she was with another guy and I was on a date with another girl – and it was the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across.”
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2. Drop-Out
Although it isn’t surprising that many actors and actresses excelled at drama in school, it may be surprising that not only did Reynolds not excel at it, he actually failed his high school drama class. After high school he attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver, but ended up dropping out to pursue acting full time.
Photo by Mark Von Holden/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
1. Dedication
Ryan Reynolds may seem more of a “wing-it” kind of actor, but he does in fact prepare heavily for roles. For Blade: Trinity Reynolds gained 25 pounds of muscle by working out six days a week for three months and ate 3,200 calories daily to become Hannibal King. As for his role in Amityville Horror, which was a departure from his usual saracastic/comedic roles, Reynolds decided not to become close to or interact too much with the actors playing his children so that when his character became possessed it would be easier for him to act abusive.
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