The Sad Reason Ryan Reynolds Takes On Too Much Work

Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood's biggest actors, but the celeb's jam-packed movie schedule may be pushing the star to want a "sabbatical" from the movie industry. 

Reynolds first began his career with a few failed movies in the early '90s, until landing a role in TV series "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" that would catapult him into stardom, according to IMDb. Some of the actor's most notable films include "Green Lantern," "The Proposal," and of course, the "Deadpool" franchise. In 2020, Reynolds' work proved beneficial for the star who was estimated to be worth about $71.5 million and named Forbes' second-highest paid actor. The outlet reported Reynolds brought in $40 million from just two films, "Six Underground" and "Red Notice."

Aside from managing his film career, the "Free Guy" actor is a notable businessman with a stake in Aviation American Gin (which sold for $610 million in 2020) and ownership in Mint Mobile. While Reynolds is happily married to Blake Lively, the actor also has his hand in the dating app business as a board member at Match Group Inc., owner of Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid, according to Indy100. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal Magazine of his successes, Reynolds revealed how juggling his family, business, and acting career can be a bit stressful, opening up about the real reason behind his busy schedule.

In his October cover story of Wall Street Journal Magazine, actor Ryan Reynolds told the outlet he tends "to bite off way more than I could or should chew" (via Daily Mail). The "Deadpool" star first blamed his work schedule on his nationality, joking, "I think maybe it's just that Canadian sensibility: 'Well, I said I was going to, so I have to deliver this."'

Reynolds continued, "I will do that at the cost of my own well-being sometimes. I fixate on things. That's sort of the engine of anxiety. I lay awake at night, wrapping and unwrapping every possible scenario. I slept at a perfect right angle for so many years." The actor opened up about how he ignores his "anxiety" with his countless business ventures and big-picture contracts. "I tend to pave over anxiety with work and, to a lesser extent, achievement," Reynolds said. "You want to tick boxes sometimes. So these days, my goal is to be as present as I can and not just tick a box just to do it. I'm fully embracing and living that right now. It's been amazing. Heartfelt personal-growth quote: check."

Reynolds broke the news to fans earlier in October, that it was the "perfect time for a little sabbatical from movie making," after wrapping yet another film (this time with Will Ferrell), leaving room for the actor to "be as present as" he can.