# Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer, and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, his works have grossed $6.5 billion worldwide. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as nominations for a Grammy Award and Golden Globe. In 2017, Time included Reynolds in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Reynolds began acting at thirteen, taking on small roles in various television series. Reynolds began his career starring in the teen soap opera Hillside (1991–1993) and held minor roles before securing the lead role in the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl (1998–2001). He later starred in a range of films, including the commercially successful romantic comedies National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002), Waiting... (2005), and The Proposal (2009), and the superhero films Blade: Trinity (2004), and Green Lantern (2011).
Reynolds achieved his greatest commercial success with the Deadpool franchise, starring as the titular character in Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). His performance in the first earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He has since appeared in the biographical drama Woman in Gold (2015), the sci-fi horror Life (2017), and action films like 6 Underground (2019), Free Guy (2021), and The Adam Project (2022). Reynolds is also a voice actor, lending his voice to animated films, including The Croods franchise (2013–2020), Turbo (2013), and Detective Pikachu (2019), the latter in which he voiced the titular character.
Reynolds's sex appeal is widely discussed in the media, and he is widely called one of the most attractive actors, having been named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2010. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. A businessman, he holds an ownership stake in Mint Mobile and is a co-owner of Welsh football club Wrexham; the latter is documented in the Emmy Award-winning television series Welcome to Wrexham. In 2020, Reynolds sold his ownership stake of Aviation Gin to Diageo as part of a $610 million deal. He also serves on the board of the Match Group.

## Early life and education

Reynolds was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 23, 1976. His father, James Chester Reynolds, served as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman before retiring and transitioning to work as a foods wholesaler. His mother, Tamara Lee (née Stewart), worked in retail sales. Reynolds has three older brothers—Patrick, Jeff, and Terry—and has described himself not as a younger brother to them, but a "moving target". He has also shared that his brothers "protected him" from their father, with whom he had a complex and somewhat estranged relationship. Reynolds's paternal grandfather, Chester, was a farmer who represented Stettler in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1940 to 1944. Reynolds is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighborhood as well as in Vanier, Ontario (now part of Ottawa).
Reynolds has been involved in acting since the age of thirteen. As a teenager, Reynolds attended an acting class, which he failed, and briefly worked at his local grocery store in Vancouver. He described his co-workers as "the funniest people on Earth" and called them "some of my biggest impressions [...] as a performer". Reynolds attended Prince of Wales Secondary School for grades nine and ten before getting "kicked out" for stealing a teacher's car. He attended grades eleven and twelve at Kitsilano Secondary School alongside actor Joshua Jackson, graduating in 1994. Reynolds initially took on minor roles in various television series but became discouraged and left acting at nineteen to enroll at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. A few months later, he encountered fellow actor Chris William Martin, who encouraged him to give acting another chance and relocate with him to Los Angeles.

## Career
### 1991–2003: Career beginnings

Reynolds began his career in 1991, portraying Billy Simpson—a character who turned to bullying to cope with family issues and romantic rejections—in the Canadian teen soap opera Hillside (1991–1993), which was distributed in the United States by Nickelodeon under the title Fifteen. He made his feature film debut in the coming-of-age drama Ordinary Magic (1993) by playing Jeffrey, an orphan raised in India, who is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi to go on a hunger strike in a small town in Canada. Directed by Giles Walker, the film received mixed to disappointing reviews; Variety's Paul Lenti thought that the script's "overall facile characterizations and predictable plot development detract from real tension". Between 1993 and 1994, Reynolds took on the dual roles of Macro and Lee in the children's half-hour television series The Odyssey. He played Kevin Bannister in the television film My Name is Kate (1994), and later played Andy in Serving in Silence (1995). He played Derek Tillman in a 1995 episode from the science fiction anthology television series The Outer Limits.
In 1996, Reynolds made cameo appearances as Jay "Boom" DeBoom in The X-Files episode "Syzygy" and in the comedy The John Larroquette Show episode "Napping to Success". That year, he co-starred with Melissa Joan Hart on the television film Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996)—based on the comic book series of the same name—in which he plays the titular character's love interest, Seth. Reynolds portrayed Bobby Rupp, the boyfriend of murdered teenager Nancy Clutter, in the two-part miniseries In Cold Blood (1996), an adaptation of Truman Capote's 1966 nonfiction novel of the same name. He returned to feature films with the dark comedy The Alarmist (1997), playing Howard, the teenage son of Gale (Kate Capshaw), portraying Howard, the teenage son of Gale (Kate Capshaw). After both are harmed at their home, Tommy (David Arquette) begins to suspect Heinrich's (Stanley Tucci) involvement. The film received mainly negative reviews from critics. Reynolds made two more appearances in The Outer Limits, portraying Paul Nodel in the episodes "Double Helix" (1997) and "Origin of the Species" (1998).
His breakthrough role was as medical student Michael "Berg" Bergen in Two Guys and a Girl (1998–2001; initially titled Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place). Although the show was neither as critically or commercially successful as contemporary shows, Reynolds's performance received praise, with Variety—in a retrospective review—noting that his "talent and charisma [were] apparent" and that his "star quality was already in place". He later took on the minor roles of Henry Lipschitz and Chip in the comedies Coming Soon (1999) and Dick (1999), respectively. In the horror comedy Boltneck (2000), Reynolds starred as Karl, a bullied teenager who is killed and later revived by a "science nerd" named Frank Stein, while he portrayed Quigley in the drama thriller Finder's Fee (2001). He played the titular character in the romantic comedy Van Wilder (2002), which was critically panned but achieved box office success. Reynolds portrayed Mark Tobias in the critically and commercially unsuccessful action comedy film The In-Laws (2003). In the film, he is about to marry Melissa (Lindsay Sloane), before her father finds out that Mark's father is a CIA operative. He starred alongside Kristin Booth in William Phillips's heist film Foolproof (2003).

### 2004–2009: Romantic comedies and recognition

Reynolds had a cameo appearance as the role of the male nurse in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), which Entertainment Weekly described as a "single, though memorable scene". Later that year, he made his voice acting debut in the animated television series Zeroman (2004), lending his voice to former secret agent Ty Cheese. Reynolds plays the role of Hannibal King in David S. Goyer's Blade: Trinity (2004), a vampire hunter who joins Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) to battle Dracula and the vampire clan. To prepare for the role, Reynolds focused on gaining muscle mass, training six days a week and adhering to a 3,200-calorie diet. He gained 11 kilograms (24 lb) of muscle in three months. Despite being a success at the box office, grossing $132 million on a $65 million budget, the film was negatively received by critics.
Reynolds starred as George Lutz in the supernatural horror film The Amityville Horror (2005)—an adaptation of the 1977 novel and remake of the 1979 film of the same name. He portrays a man who moves into a supposedly haunted house with his wife, Kathy (Melissa George), and her children. Reynolds's performance was praised by critics, with Collider's Shawn Van Horn stating that he was "funny and charming, but toned down, as if he's not performing for a camera". He starred as a charismatic waiter named Monty in Rob McKittrick's comedy Waiting... (2005). In the romantic comedy Just Friends (2005), he played Chris Brander, an overweight high schooler trying to escape the "friend zone" with his best friend (Amy Smart), during a Christmas visit to his hometown. To portray this character, he wore a fat suit and makeup. He later played FBI agent Richard Messner in the crime action film Smokin' Aces (2006) alongside Ray Liotta. In the science fiction film The Nines (2007), Reynolds plays three distinct characters—Gary, Gavin, and Gabriel—in three separate storylines, exploring themes of reality, identity, and the nature of existence.
In 2008, Reynolds played Frank Allen in Chaos Theory, directed by Marcos Siega. He portrays a highly disciplined efficiency expert whose marital crisis prompts a shift towards an unpredictable and spontaneous lifestyle. Critics acknowledged Reynolds's performance even though the film itself received poor reception, with The Seattle Times commenting that he "has the sort of blandly dazzling [...] It's a fine performance; too bad it's lost in a muddled movie." His subsequent role was in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe (2008), where he played Will Hayes, a man in the middle of divorce proceedings who is questioned by his daughter about how he and her mother first met. In Fireflies in the Garden (2008), he played a successful novelist who returns to his family in the Midwest, only to learn that his mother has died in a tragic accident.
Reynolds starred in Greg Mottola's romantic comedy Adventureland (2009), in which he plays Mike Connell, a technician and part-time musician, with whom Em (Kristen Stewart) is having an affair. Critics praised Adventureland, and the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 218 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He later played the role of Wade Wilson / Deadpool / Weapon XI in the superhero film X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). As early as 2005, Reynolds had expressed interest in and involvement with a potential Deadpool film adaptation, collaborating with screenwriter David S. Goyer. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Reynolds starred as Andrew Paxton in Anne Fletcher's commercially successful romantic comedy The Proposal (2009). Critics praised the on-screen chemistry between Reynolds and co-star Sandra Bullock. He played Captain Excellent in the negatively-received comedy drama film Paper Man (2009).

### 2010–2015: Genre experimentation and career fluctuations

In 2010, he made a guest appearance on the children's television show Sesame Street. Reynolds's only film role that year was in the Spanish and American survival thriller film Buried (2010), directed by Rodrigo Cortés. He played the role of Paul Conroy, an American truck driver in Iraq who finds himself buried alive in a coffin and must find a way to escape. Buried garnered significant commendation from critics, with a segment of Rotten Tomatoes' consensus noting it as a "nerve-wracking display of [...] Reynolds' talent". He played the titular character in Martin Campbell's superhero film Green Lantern (2011). The film was a critical and commercial failure, underperforming at the box office and receiving negative reviews. Reynolds played Mitch Planko in David Dobkin's romantic comedy The Change-Up (2011). The film received negative reviews, both Reynolds and co-star Jason Bateman received praise for their performances. Reynolds executive-produced and narrated the documentary film The Whale (2011).
In 2012, Reynolds starred alongside Denzel Washington in the action thriller Safe House, directed by Daniel Espinosa. Set in Cape Town, South Africa, Reynolds plays Matt Weston, a CIA agent. The safe house he operates in is breached by mercenaries when Tobin Frost (Washington) is captured and brought in for interrogation; the two attempt to escape and find another safe house. While the film received mixed reviews, Reynolds's performance was praised by many critics, with The Hollywood Reporter describing it as "surprisingly well acted" and IGN highlighting it as a "terrific performance that is sure to be a highlight in his [...] career". He made a cameo appearance as Jared in the comedy Ted (2012). In 2013, Reynolds had starring voice roles in two DreamWorks Animation feature films. The first was in The Croods, in which he voiced Guy, an inventive teenage caveboy who lives with his pet sloth, Belt. The second was in Turbo, where he portrayed the titular protagonist, a garden snail who gains superspeed during a street race and dreams of becoming a champion in the Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Reynolds played Nick Walker in R.I.P.D. (2013), a detective murdered by his partner. The film was a box-office bomb and was panned by critics. He took on several roles in the horror comedy film The Voices (2014), starring as Jerry Hickfang, a factory worker with schizophrenia who hears voices from his pet dog and cat, both of whom he also voiced. In 2020, Reynolds described the film as "one of my favorite movies I've ever done [...] never really got its day in court, but man, it's weird and fun and beautiful". In the psychological thriller The Captive (2014), he portrays Matthew, a father who is determined to locate his nine-year-old daughter who has been missing for eight years, after police discover a clue on the Internet. The Captive generally received negative reception, with Vanity Fair describing it as "[director] Atom Egoyan's [...] weird disappointment that's painfully reminiscent of his earlier, better work".
Reynolds starred as Curtis in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's comedy-drama Mississippi Grind (2015). Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn), a gambling addict, believes that Curtis brings good fortune and takes him on a road trip to participate in a high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. The film garnered positive reviews from critics, with Variety's Justin Chang calling it a "bittersweet and beautifully textured road movie" and likening it to the "open highways of 1970s American cinema". Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian thought that the film "present[ed] realism and sentimentality in a strange but intriguing mix". In Simon Curtis's biographical drama Woman in Gold (2015), Reynolds portrayed E. Randol Schoenberg, a young lawyer who assists Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) in her legal fight to recover her family's stolen Gustav Klimt painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907). He later starred in the science ficition Self/less (2015), which faced negative reception and underperformed at the box office.

### 2016–present: Established actor

Reynolds found significant critical and commercial success with the superhero film Deadpool (2016), which had been in development since as early as 2000. Following his portrayal of Wade Wilson / Weapon XI in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Reynolds became heavily involved in the development of a film based on Deadpool. The film introduced a reboot of the character, dismissing the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and establishing a new backstory that aligns more closely with the original Marvel Comics. Reynolds chose not to get paid for Deadpool to ensure the film's release and used the small amount he did receive to have co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on set with him. Deadpool was a commercial success, grossing $782 million, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2016. Reynolds's performance in the film earned universal acclaim from critics.
Reynolds had a supporting role in Ariel Vromen's action thriller Criminal (2016). He played Bill Pope, who is tortured and killed early in the film while travelling to a secret meeting with a hacker capable of launching missiles at will. The film received negative reviews from critics. The following year, Reynolds reunited with director Daniel Espinosa, playing the engineer Rory Adams in the science fiction Life (2017). It received mixed reviews from critics and performed well at the box office. Reynolds next starred in Patrick Hughes's action comedy film The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017). He played the role of Michael Bryce, an executive protection agent and former CIA officer hired to protect assassin Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Critics praised the performances, action sequences, and the chemistry between Reynolds and Jackson but criticized the film for its clichéd plot and execution. Filming for a sequel to Deadpool started in June 2017 and led to the release of Deadpool 2 in 2018. The film became a commercial success, grossing $715 million, becoming it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2018.
Reynolds voiced the titular character in Rob Letterman's fantasy film Detective Pikachu (2019), an adaptation of the video game of the same name. He played a detective and intelligent talking Pikachu that only Tim (Justice Smith) can understand. The film received positive reviews from critics; Steve Rose from The Guardian praised Reynolds for "grab[bing] the film by the scruff of the neck". He next starred in Michael Bay's action film 6 Underground (2019) as the leader of a group of six people from different parts of the world who unite to fight an evil dictator after being presumed dead. He reprised his role as Guy in The Croods: A New Age (2020). Reynolds also reprised the role of Michael Bryce in the action film Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2020), a sequel to The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017). His next role was starring in Shawn Levy's contemporary fantasy Free Guy (2021), portraying a non-playable character who later realizes he is living in a video game and tries to prevent the creators from shutting it down. He starred as a renowned art thief in the action comedy film Red Notice (2021) alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot.
Reynolds next starred in Levy's science fiction action comedy The Adam Project (2022), portraying Adam Reed—a time pilot from 2050 who risks his life to uncover the truth regarding his wife's disappearance. The film received generally mixed reception, with IGN's Ryan Leston commending Reynolds's performance. In October 2021, Reynolds announced he was taking "a little sabbatical" from his work after the production of Spirited (2022), a Christmas musical comedy. In August 2024, Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, became the first married Hollywood couple since Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in 1990 to have separate films leading the box office on the same weekend. Their respective films, Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends with Us—in which they played the leading roles—claimed the number one and two spots during the August 9–11 weekend. Deadpool & Wolverine achieved both commercial and critical success, grossing $1.338 billion worldwide. It became the second-highest-grossing film of 2024 and 20th highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release.

## Business ventures

In January 2018, Reynolds started the production company Maximum Effort and signed a three-year first-look deal with Fox. Maximum Effort is in development on a live-action adaptation of the board game Clue, to be penned by Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. On June 23, 2021, the marketing division of Maximum Effort Production was spun off as a separate company, and acquired by MNTN Software. Reynolds is the driving force of Maximum Effort and has created ads for a number of his film projects and for brands such as Peloton and R.M. Williams.
Reynolds acquired a stake in Aviation American Gin in February 2018. He stated that his interest went beyond that of an owner, and that he planned to oversee the product's creative direction as well as taking an active role in the business.
In November 2019, Reynolds purchased an ownership stake in Mint Mobile. It was later revealed that Reynolds owns between 20% and 25% of Mint Mobile. Reynolds and Mint founder David Glickman both served on the board of directors for The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and Glickman was impressed with Reynolds' marketing for Deadpool. He joined the board of Match Group in July 2020. In August 2020, Diageo announced it was acquiring Aviation American Gin in a deal valued at up to $610 million.
On September 23, 2020, the Wrexham Supporters Trust announced that a business partnership consisting of Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney was in talks to purchase the Welsh football club Wrexham. On November 16, it was confirmed that Reynolds and McElhenney took over the club after receiving the backing of the Wrexham Supporters Trust. In February 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority approved their takeover of Wrexham. The process of Reynolds and McElhenney's investment in Wrexham was covered by the 2022 TV documentary series Welcome to Wrexham.
As soon as Reynolds and McElhenney became involved with Wrexham, they also took interest in Welsh culture, specifically their use of Welsh language, with them first advertising their club takeover with a Welsh translator. Reynolds asked that Welsh subtitles be included with his Netflix movie Red Notice, which was also advertised within Wrexham. In 2022, Reynolds and McElhenney were awarded the Diolch Y Ddraig award by Welsh language TV station S4C for their role promoting Welsh culture.
On May 3, 2021, Ryan Reynolds was part of an investor group led by Greylock Partners that made a $750 million investment into Wealthsimple. Reynolds's exact ownership amount was not disclosed, but this investment round valued the Canadian financial startup company at CA$5 billion.
In January 2022, Ryan Reynolds was part of a group of investors who participated in a Series C funding round that made a $620 million investment into 1Password. Reynolds's exact ownership amount was not disclosed, but this investment round valued the Canadian cybersecurity startup company at $6.8 Billion.
In August 2022, Ryan Reynolds took an equity stake in FuboTV. Reynolds, his Maximum Effort studio and Fubo announced a co-production partnership that will include the launch of the Maximum Effort Network on FuboTV. Reynolds and his team will create original content for the forthcoming channel.
In November 2022, reports began circulating that Reynolds was interested in purchasing ownership of the Ottawa Senators, which were to be sold by the estate of the late Eugene Melnyk. Reynolds confirmed that he was looking to acquire a stake in the team in a November 7 appearance on The Tonight Show, telling host Jimmy Fallon that he would "need a partner with really deep pockets" to accomplish this. The following day he attended a Senators game at the Canadian Tire Centre, and received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was subsequently reported that he had been meeting with different consortiums that were planning to bid on the team, as well as with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He was reported to have withdrawn his bid in May 2023.
On March 15, 2023, T-Mobile announced it was acquiring Ka’ena Corporation, parent company of Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and Plum, in a deal valued at up to $1.35 billion.
During April 2023, Canadian payments technology company Nuvei announced that Reynolds had invested in the company, although the details about the scope of the investment have yet to be disclosed.
On June 26, 2023, it was announced that both Reynolds and McElhenney were part of an investor group that bought a 24% equity stake in the Formula One Alpine F1 Team.

## Public image, work and recognition

In October 2008, Reynolds wrote for The Huffington Post regarding his plan to run the 2008 New York City Marathon for his father who, at the time, suffered from Parkinson's disease. Reynolds appeared in People's Sexiest Man Alive lists in 2007 and 2009, and was awarded the top honour in 2010. On February 12, 2012, Reynolds appeared on the BBC's Top Gear as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car. He posted a time of 1:43.7. On the May 13, 2018, broadcast of the South Korean reality television show King of Mask Singer, Reynolds had a special performance in the opening act, singing "Tomorrow". In 2017, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time.
For his work, Reynolds has received widespread recognition and accolades. After having a role in the Canadian drama series Hillside, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1993. For his role as Deadpool in the 2016 Marvel film of the same name, he received the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor in a Comedy and a Golden Globe nomination in the same category. For the soundtrack of the 2018 sequel, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. His other achievements include three MTV Movie & TV Awards, three People's Choice Awards and a Saturn Award. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program for producing the series Welcome to Wrexham.
On November 26, 2021, Governor General Mary Simon awarded Reynolds a Governor General's Performing Arts Award to recognize his philanthropic work and significant contributions to the cultural life of Canada. Sandra Bullock, Morena Baccarin, Michael J. Fox, and Hugh Jackman made pre-recorded speeches in support of, and to congratulate Reynolds on the award.
The appointment of Reynolds by his home province to the Order of British Columbia was announced on August 7, 2023. The honour was to be presented to Reynolds and his fellow recipients during a ceremony held in November 2023 in Victoria.
In 2023, he received the Robin Williams Legend’s Legacy of Laughter Award.
Reynolds was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada on October 16, 2024, in recognition of his film career and philanthropy.

## Philanthropy

In May 2020, Reynolds was among a group of celebrities who read an instalment of Roald Dahl's children's fantasy novel James and the Giant Peach in aid of the global non-profit charity Partners In Health, co-founded by Dahl's daughter Ophelia, which had been fighting COVID-19 in vulnerable areas. In July, Reynolds and broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos each offered $5000 (and Reynolds, a shipment of liquor from his Aviation Gin company) for the return of a Vancouver woman's stolen teddy bear. The Build-A-Bear, which contained a recording of the woman's late mother saying "I love you" in Filipino, was returned in four days by two good Samaritans.
In the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Reynolds and Lively pledged to "match up" to $1 million for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
In March 2022, Lively and Reynolds made another donation, amounting to $500,000 to Water First, to provide indigenous people in Canada with clean water and training to young people to become professional technicians in environmental issues.
In January 2023, he was named the winner of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Humanitarian Award at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.
He alongside his wife, Blake Lively voluntarily contributed a relief fund of $1 million to assist the States as a result of the Hurricanes Helene and Milton that happened in October 2024 at Florida and some other parts of the U.S. They made their contribution through a non-profit organisation called Feeding American.

## Personal life

Reynolds began dating singer Alanis Morissette in 2002, and they announced their engagement in June 2004. In February 2007, representatives for the pair announced they had mutually decided to end their engagement. Morissette said her album Flavors of Entanglement was created out of her grief after the split, and the song "Torch" was written about Reynolds.
Soon after the end of his relationship with Morissette in 2007, Reynolds began dating actress Scarlett Johansson. They announced their engagement in May 2008, and married on September 27 of that year, in a private ceremony near Tofino, British Columbia. On December 14, 2010, they announced their separation. Reynolds filed for divorce in Los Angeles on December 23, and Johansson filed her response simultaneously. The divorce was finalized on July 1, 2011.
Reynolds first met Blake Lively in early 2010 while filming Green Lantern, in which they costarred. They began dating in October 2011 and married on September 9, 2012, at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After civil rights protests in 2020, Reynolds publicly apologized and expressed deep regret for using that venue due to its association with slavery. He and Lively renewed their vows at home in New York. The couple have four children.
The family resides in Pound Ridge, New York. Reynolds and Lively are close friends with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who named the characters in her song "Betty" after their daughters. In November 2024, Reynolds confirmed that Swift is the godmother to his three daughters. Reynolds is also a good friend of Hugh Jackman. He credits Jackman with introducing him to Shawn Levy, who went on to direct him in three feature films.
Reynolds has spoken about his lifelong struggle with anxiety, noting in 2018 that he carried out many interviews in the character of Deadpool to alleviate his fears and again noting in 2024 that his anxiety makes him "quiet" and "shy", except when he is acting. He became a U.S. citizen around 2018.