Long before he was Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, even before he was buried alive in Buried or battling grizzly hitmen in Smoking Aces, Ryan Reynolds was the guy who brought us Van Wilder and the TV movie version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
A man with more range than a catapult, here’s why the Canadian 39-year-old deserves his rightful place at the top of the Hollywood ladder – and why he’d be a great mate to have in real life.
When somebody starts a sentence, "with all due respect…" it's almost guaranteed they're about to say something shitty.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) May 6, 2016
He’s a better journalist than most journalists
Not many people know that Ryan Reynolds has his own YouTube account. He isn’t even verified. He just posts random stuff about his role as Deadpool on there for the LULZ. Watching Ryan Reynolds getting interviewed is always entertaining because you never know when he’ll flip the script.
He’s surprisingly self-aware:
When, somehow, a tweet by a random person who didn’t even tag him made its way to his screen, Ryan replied in a candid, honest and, some people might say, over-the-top way. But look at this glorious summary of the difference between himself and Ryan Gosling, star of The Notebook and Drive.
The tweet, from a user named @stonedziti asked: “Is ryan gosling the one that was in the notebook? WHO IS RYAN REYNOLDS? I SWEAR I’VE NEVER SEEN A MOVIE WITH HIM YET HE’S SO FAMOUS”…
https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/614066267020918784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He views life as an “invaluable lesson”:
A quick re-watch of 2001 college classic Van Wilder gives us a brief insight into the mind of the young Ryan Reynolds. Comedic, nonchalant but also deeply profound, some of the best moments in this film were ad-libbed by Reynolds himself. He once described tattoos as “bumper stickers for bodies”. If that’s not deep, I don’t know what is.
He’s an awesome dad
You would never date his daughter though.
Surprisingly easy to teach a baby to swipe right.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 16, 2015
My daughter just sneezed into my yawning mouth. Seemed really fucking pleased with herself. Joke's on her. She'll have to bury me someday.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) April 16, 2016
Tip: It's important parents take little "time outs" for themselves too. Even if you feel pretty guilty when you return 14 years later.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) May 3, 2016
He cannot be beaten in a staring contest
Trying to psych out someone who has spent their entire life looking cool, calm and collected isn’t easy. It’s exactly what YouTuber turned celebrity FIFA player KSI tried to do to Reynolds at a Deadpool junket this year. He wasn’t expecting the most intense stare-off of his life to ensue. Seriously, who can keep their eyes open for this long without blinking?
He loves to make fun of himself:
Most people only find out they’ve been ripped by Seth MacFarlane after it happens. Not Ryan. He was invited to voice an eccentric version of himself on Family Guy and actually did a better job than any other actor could have.
Being able to laugh at himself like that shows he’s really comfortable in his own skin. On that note, Ryan Reynolds’ impression of Ryan Reynolds is probably the best there is.
He’s insanely honest:
Not that Ryan Reynolds has a lot to be ashamed of, but where he is at fault, he’ll always admit it. For example, in a 2012 episode of Top Gear he shamelessly admitted that he can’t actually drive a car very well. He’s genuinely so honest that when it came to filming the ‘Honest Trailer’ for Deadpool, he had to pop in and make a small cameo.
He’s actually claustrophobic
Reynolds said that he suffered from claustrophobia prior to making Buried, in which his character is trapped in a coffin for the whole movie. The coffin he shot in was gradually filled with more sand as filming progressed. He describes the last day of shooting on set as “unlike anything I experienced in my life, and I never ever want to experience that again.” Talk about facing your fears, though.
Big balls, bigger heart
Anyone who witnessed Ryan’s touching tribute to Connor McGrath, a 13-year-old long suffering cancer patient and fan who recently passed away will know how committed he is to the people who put him where he is.
His love for his fans extends further than just marketing, often spending days on end lending his the to the the Make-A-Wish Foundation for dying children.
He’s a lover of freedom*
(*to drink beer while watching movies):
Thank god, they've found a way to legislate fun. https://t.co/vUSptxaHb9
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) April 24, 2016
He then made a donation to the cinema in question to help pay its fine.
Ryan Reynolds: a good egg.
Remember, I was named Ryan long before it never became cool.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) May 4, 2016
And so polite.
I'm okay right now, thanks. https://t.co/DnwOYLrmHU
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) May 14, 2016
*This article first appeared on JOE.co.uk*
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