Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian-American actor, producer, and entrepreneur who has built one of the most distinctive careers in entertainment by combining comedy, action, and business acumen. Best known for his decade-long campaign to bring Deadpool to the screen and the franchise's subsequent massive commercial success, Reynolds has become one of the highest-earning actors in Hollywood while simultaneously running a portfolio of businesses that rivals many venture capital firms.
Born on October 23, 1976, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Reynolds grew up as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Jim Reynolds, was a food wholesaler, and his mother, Tammy, worked as a retail saleswoman. He got his start on the Nickelodeon Canada series Hillside (known as Fifteen in the US) at age 15, then spent years grinding through comedies and supporting roles before Van Wilder (2002) established him as a leading man in comedy. Roles in Waiting... (2005), Just Friends (2005), and The Proposal (2009) opposite Sandra Bullock further built his profile.
The Deadpool saga defines Reynolds' career. After a widely disliked version of the character appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Reynolds spent years pushing for a faithful R-rated adaptation. When leaked test footage went viral in 2014, Fox greenlit the project with a modest $58 million budget. Deadpool (2016) earned $783 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film at the time. Deadpool 2 (2018) added another $785 million. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), the first R-rated MCU film, reunited him with Hugh Jackman and grossed over $1.3 billion, proving the character's enduring appeal.
Reynolds' business ventures have been equally aggressive. He acquired a stake in Aviation American Gin, which sold to Diageo for $610 million in 2020. His ownership stake in Mint Mobile paid off when T-Mobile acquired the company for $1.35 billion in 2023. He co-owns Wrexham AFC, a Welsh football club, with Rob McElhenney — a venture documented in the hit FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham. His marketing company, Maximum Effort, produces viral ad campaigns that blur the line between entertainment and advertising.
Reynolds married actress Blake Lively in 2012, and the couple has four children together. Their relationship, marked by playful public banter and mutual trolling on social media, has made them one of Hollywood's most visible couples. Reynolds was previously married to Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2011. He became an American citizen in 2018 while retaining his Canadian citizenship, and he remains a proudly vocal representative of Vancouver and Canadian culture.
