Before the red suit, mask and incessant jokes of Deadpool, there was a boy from Vancouver who began acting professionally at the age of 12. Ryan Rodney Reynolds was born on October 23, 1976 and is the youngest of four brothers. His first big step was the Canadian series “Hillside“, known to American audiences as “Fifteen“.
Television gave him his next opportunity. Between 1998 and 2001, Reynolds starred in the sitcom “Two and a Half Men and a Girl“, and in 2002 came the role that made him a recognizable face for the young audience - the student and eternal partygoer Van Wilder. The comedy marked the beginning of the image with which he has long been associated: a quick tongue, self-irony and a hero who always seems to be one step away from the next trouble.
From the comedy hero to Deadpool
Reynolds gradually moved out of the comedy. He played in “Blade: Trinity“, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine“ and “Green Lantern“, but it was the dramatic thriller “Buried“ from 2010 shows that behind the ironic public persona is an actor capable of carrying an entire film almost by himself.
Deadpool, however, turned out to be the role that changed his career. Reynolds played Wade Wilson in the first film in 2016, followed by “Deadpool 2“ in 2018 and “Deadpool and the Wolverine“ in 2024. The latter film, in which he co-starred with Hugh Jackman, reached an estimated $1.3 billion at the global box office and became the highest-grossing R-rated film.
In 2026, Reynolds signaled that he had no intention of abandoning the character, but he also did not want to make him the eternal center of the “Marvel“ universe. "I have things written, but I don't think I'll put Deadpool back in the story," the actor told Variety.
Hollywood actor and football club owner
Outside of the movies, Reynolds has expanded his role as a producer and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Maximum Effort, a company that works on film, television and advertising projects. He was an investor and face of the Aviation Gin brand, which was sold to Diageo in 2020 for a reported $610 million.
His most unexpected move is related to football. Reynolds and Rob McElhenney agreed to acquire Welsh club Wrexham in 2020, and the deal was completed in 2021. The team's story was turned into the Emmy-winning series “Welcome to Wrexham“ and followed its journey from the fifth tier of English football to the Championship. In the 2025/2026 season “Wrexham“ finished in seventh place - the highest ranking in its history.
Thus, Ryan Reynolds celebrates his 50th anniversary not only as the actor who gave a face to one of the most popular anti-heroes of “Marvel“. He is also a producer, co-owner of a football club and a man who manages to turn his personal sense of humor into a recognizable style far beyond the screen.
Sources: biography.com, au.variety.com, apnews.com