Media Moments Ryan Reynolds Can't Erase

Ryan Reynolds has cemented himself as one of the most recognizable Hollywood heavyweights since the 2010s. He's starred in blockbuster films, reinvigorated an overseas football club, turned his eye to savvy business ventures, and even started a family. With his professional and personal life in the spotlight, there have been many moments that have played out for the world to see — for better or worse. "The spotlight can be a very stressful place to be," the actor once told USA Today (via The Hollywood Reporter). "People can unravel. To vanish, to have everyday regular life experiences, it informs your work, it informs everything. It allows you to sustain this a lot longer ... If you're not cultivating other aspects of your personality, you can be screwed very quickly."

From his hijinks on and off screen to sharing his family life with the world at large, Ryan Reynolds continues to keep audiences on their toes across the board. But there's more than one side to the famously funny actor — he's got a humanitarian side that impacts a lot of what he does, too. "For me, filtering my perspective and my energy through a prism of empathy and service has made my life better," he said in his acceptance speech for the Humanitarian Award he received at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards (via CelebrityKind). "It's made it fuller. It's made it purposeful."

Before he starred as the infamous Merc with a Mouth that we all know and love, Ryan Reynolds first wielded Deadpool's double katana swords in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" alongside future bestie Hugh Jackman. That version of Deadpool, however, was widely criticized by both fans and Reynolds alike. "It's easy to say we got some things wrong," Reynolds revealed in an interview featuring Jackman for Variety in 2024. "Deadpool sewing up his mouth was one of the all-time foolish studio notes. But at the same time, I'm so grateful for it."

This Deadpool featured laser beams for eyes and could teleport, appearing as more of a Frankenstein experiment than a mouthy mercenary. He was also apparently controllable by computer commands, something that did not translate years later in future "Deadpool" films. But it wasn't all bad on set, as this was the first film that he made with Jackman. "Hugh was a huge influence on me," he told Variety in the same interview. "It was the first time I saw how a movie star operates on set, and it defied all the preconceived notions for a movie star."

The 2009 iteration of Deadpool wasn't the only poorly perceived superhero take that Ryan Reynolds would show to the world. In 2011, he headlined the widely lambasted "Green Lantern," which has become more of a meme than a movie as of late. "[The mentality was] just 'Let's just keep spending our way through this,'" Reynolds shared in retrospect at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in 2023 (via The Independent). "And that was ... it didn't work. ... Truly, shooting the movie was a lot of fun. But, you know, sitting in that premiere, watching that ... oh my God, it's tough."

But similarly to his "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" experience, he credits "Green Lantern" for introducing him to someone who would impact his life for the better: his wife, Blake Lively, who starred as love interest Carol Ferris. The pair didn't officially get together until a year and a half after filming wrapped, but Reynolds does credit the film with pulling at least one gem from what he calls the "darkest crease in the anus of the universe" (per Cinema Blend).

After calling off his engagement to Alanis Morrisette in 2007, Ryan Reynolds met and quickly married fellow actor Scarlett Johansson the following year. The two Hollywood heavyweights were deep in their careers at that point, which made it difficult for them to focus on their marriage. "We have no time for dates," Johansson revealed to Time Out New York during their relationship (via Yahoo! Entertainment). "We work and then go home ... Like in any profession, it's difficult. You want to make sure you have time to invest in your family. It's a challenge, but it's worth it."

The pair were no more by 2010 when they announced they were getting a divorce. "We entered our relationship with love and it's with love and kindness we leave it," they shared in a joint statement (per People). Reynolds has been mum to the media when it comes to talking about his ex, while Johansson has made several vague comments about her ex-husband and their courtship. It's not all ill will, though — she's even referred to him as a "good guy" in an interview years later.

When Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, decided to tie the knot in 2012, what was planned as a simple yet elegant Southern ceremony was later criticized for its historical background. The couple exchanged vows at Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, in front of a small crowd of friends and family. At the time of their wedding, the site was still a working plantation and had been included in several Hollywood projects, including "The Notebook" and "North and South." "It's impossible to reconcile," Reynolds shared with Fast Company in 2020. "What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy." Lively also spoke up about the incident when she announced that she and her husband would be making a $200,000 donation to the NAACP legal fund following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. "We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is," she wrote on Instagram.

A main part of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's married bliss? Keeping things funny with a series of playful social media snubs. The two are always recognizing each other on their Instagram profiles, from birthdays and anniversaries to movie premieres and special projects. But their fun-loving banter always adds an element of snark to each post.

For example, Lively's posts about her husband's reactions during Wrexham A.F.C. soccer games, as Reynolds is part-owner of the club. "I bought ESPN+ today. Just to watch my husband experience crippling anxiety live. Worth it," she shared to her Instagram story in 2023 (via E! News).

Reynolds has imparted his fair share of snark, too. While honoring his wife's 32nd birthday, he posted an Instagram carousel of less-than-flattering pictures of Lively to celebrate the occasion. He's also verbally thrown her under the bus — all for the love of their children, of course. "The second I looked into [our] baby's eyes, I knew in that exact moment if we were ever under attack, I would use my wife as a human shield to protect that baby," Reynolds once joked on "The Late Show with David Letterman" (via the Daily Mail).

One of Reynolds' most notable roles is that of Deadpool, the Marvel anti-hero who has headlined three blockbuster films. The hype behind Reynolds' return to the role (after a failed attempt through a very different character take in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine") reached a peak in 2015 when the actor debuted the first official footage of 2016's "Deadpool" in the hallowed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. "[It's] the most faithful adaptation of a comic book to a movie I've ever seen," the actor said of the film (per Variety). "I've only ever done one other proper, actually not proper, superhero movie ..."

Needless to say, the crowd went wild and even chanted for the trailer to be played once more after its first play.

It wasn't just the movie footage that kept Reynolds top of mind during that year's Comic-Con. He also spent time with a series of Deadpool cosplayers and even appeared on stage with friends and fellow film superheroes Hugh Jackman, Channing Tatum, and a plethora of other Marvel-Fox crossover actors in an epic group photo.

Ryan Reynolds and wife Blake Lively are usually hesitant to show their children's faces publicly, but they did make an exception in 2016 when Reynolds was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lively joined her husband alongside their two oldest daughters, James and Inez, along with the younger daughter Betty and son Olin, who were born in 2019 and 2023, respectively. James even got her hands on a microphone at one point during the ceremony. "This is one of the rare occasions when we thought we got to bring the whole clan," Reynolds told Extra at the ceremony. "I'd regret it in 20 years if I didn't."

He also took time to recognize Lively and their family during his acceptance speech. "You are the best thing, the best thing that has ever happened to me — second only to this star," he joked (via People). "You make ... absolutely everything in my life better. You've made me the father of my dreams when I thought I only had fun uncle potential."

For years, fans clamored to see real-life besties Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman share the screen again (and in proper superhero form) after the mixed reviews from "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." In 2022, the two made those dreams come true with a special announcement on YouTube that instantly went viral. On Reynolds' channel, a video called "Deadpool Update" was shared in September 2022 that revealed that Jackman would return to his iconic role of Wolverine "one last time" after previously "retiring" from the character after 2017's "Logan."

The video has since garnered over 19 million views and resulted in 2024's "Deadpool and Wolverine," which broke multiple box office records. "All of it just felt like the right time in the cultural landscape to have these two guys come back together and do a movie that is just an unabashed fastball of joy," Reynolds told Marvel.com. "I was having an out-of-body experience [watching Hugh as Wolverine] ... Watching him work like that was one of the highlights of my entire career, probably."

Ryan Reynolds is not necessarily known for his musical abilities, but he put them on full display in the 2022 family-friendly holiday musical "Spirited" opposite Will Ferrell. The film puts a new spin on "A Christmas Carol," where Ebeneezer Scrooge (Ferrell) is the current Ghost of Christmas Present and is tasked with helping Clint Briggs (Reynolds) find the true meaning of the holiday before it's too late. While filming, the pair showed off their movement skills with a behind-the-scenes dance rehearsal, as well as a viral sing-along in the round to Mika's "Grace Kelly" on social media. "The biggest challenge for me [while filming] was, in all of our singing, Will and I were, for some reason, face to face," Reynolds shared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." "You try singing for like three weeks straight while staring at Will Ferrell ... You can actually hear me laughing on the tracks, I'm sure."

It's not always just laughs for Ryan Reynolds. He's a steadfast supporter of organizations that help children and families in need, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Reynolds has visited numerous patients who were inspired by his work as Deadpool and beyond, and the actor has shared how these visits have made an impact on him as both an entertainer and as a person.

In 2016, he highlighted his interactions with the late Connor McGrath, a 13-year-old with terminal cancer. "It was the Make-A-Wish Foundation that brought us together," Reynolds wrote on Facebook. "Because of his wish, Connor was the first person to see 'Deadpool' ... There were still huge sections with wires we hadn't yet painted out, jokes which weren't working (and still aren't) and green screens. Connor didn't seem to mind. And I'd never felt luckier to get to be Wade Wilson."

He's even brought his special friends to visit on the set of his films like "Free Guy" and shared photos of their experience together behind the scenes of the 2019 film. "The best part of my job is hosting kids and families for [Make-A-Wish Foundation]," he shared on Instagram.

In 2020, Ryan Reynolds and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" actor Rob McElhenny purchased the Wrexham A.F.C football club based in Wales. And unlike many owners of sports teams, the pair (who co-founded RR McReynolds LLC to purchase the club) have been hands-on leaders every step of the way. Their journey as co-owners is documented in the FX series "Welcome to Wrexham," along with the story of the town, the team, and its community. "Together with the players, the staff, the fans and the local community, we can now pursue our goal to grow the team in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham," the duo shared when the deal was finalized in 2021 (per Wales.com).

The team, which is the third-oldest European football club in existence, has experienced great success at the hands of their new co-owners, and the popularity of the club has only increased with the attention now being generated on and off the pitch. "We didn't know anything about the sport — now we're obsessed with it," Reynolds told The Independent. "It's a living, breathing, screaming nightmare for me. Now I love this sport so much that I hate it. It's one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me and genuinely one of the worst."

2024 marked a massive year for Ryan Reynolds, as he starred in the highest-grossing R-rated movie of not only that year but of all time. "Deadpool and Wolverine" showcased Reynolds as the former and his best buddy and cinematic superhero legend Hugh Jackman as the latter, reuniting the characters properly for the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I've waited forever to do a movie with this guy, and I think he's waited a long time to do something like this with me, so there are scenes where it's pretty hard to distinguish between Wade Wilson talking to Logan and Ryan talking to Hugh," Reynolds gushed to The New York Times. "I love that, I get goose bumps even just talking about it."

The film also marked Disney's first foray into an R-rated superhero flick, which ended up working spectacularly in their favor. "I think it's a huge step for them," Reynolds told Fandango (via USA Today). "It adds a whole other color to this kaleidoscopic wheel that is that company and the different people that they have been entertaining forever."

"Deadpool and Wolverine" surpassed the $1 billion worldwide mark in August 2024 after less than two months of release. And, in classic Reynolds character, the actor took to social media to celebrate accordingly. "Now imagine if Hugh had done full frontal," he mused on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a celebratory video montage of the film. "With the [Wolverine] cowl on, of course."