Top 20 Times Ryan Reynolds Was Awesome

Not that we’re condoning theft, of course but at this stage in his career, Ryan Reynolds has paid his dues and earned his right to the perks of being a Hollywood star. One of those might be the right to keep a costume or two from his movies. Yet given how tight studios can be, it doesn’t surprise us to learn how Reynolds stole his signature Deadpool costume from the set of the first movie. After more than 11 years of trying to get that film made, it was the only thing he wanted from the set. The story goes that he literally left the set that day wearing it and has since challenged the studio to take it from him. Way to stand your ground, Ryan!

Ryan Reynolds is a funny guy. That much is pretty obvious; after all, we’ve got decades of evidence to draw from. What makes Reynolds SO funny, however, is the fact that his favorite butt of the joke is himself. While most actors would rather not talk about their films that failed with critics or at the box office, he reframes his past flops as comedic gold. Taking this trademark self-flagellating humor to new heights, however, was this 2016 interview he did for GQ, in which he’s interviewed by his own twin. Spoiler: Reynolds doesn’t have a twin, it’s just Ryan Reynolds being a jerk to Ryan Reynolds. Oh, and that cameo from Jake Gyllenhaal? AMAZING.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, people across the globe were trying to wade through an ocean of misinformation about the virus. While some people of notoriety may have stumbled through their COVID messaging, people like Ryan Reynolds nailed it. Showing up as “Bruce”, he appeared in an Ottawa Public Health video promoting safety measures around COVID. He also participated in several campaigns to raise awareness about the virus, and the importance of vaccinations. Even the premier of British Columbia, Reynolds’ home province, got a response from the actor when asked to help inform youth about the dangers of public gatherings. Combine that with his donations to support COVID relief, and he’s shown what a true, heartfelt gentleman he really is.

Josh Brolin is most recently known as the man who played Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But he also played a pivotal role in a non-MCU Marvel film, “Deadpool 2”. This of course allowed him to cross paths with Ryan Reynolds. When the movie came out, audiences finally got to see these two duke it out on screen, and show a plethora of love offscreen. Seen in countless interviews, the pair has been known to gush over each other. Even during their appearance on the “Playground Insults” segment of the BBC Radio 1 Scott Mills' radio show, the pot shots they took were quite mild. We love seeing these big names having such an affinity for each other.

Reynolds had been trying to make a real Deadpool movie for 11 years. When Fox gave him some money to shoot test footage for the film, it sat on the shelf for several years. Then it was “mysteriously” leaked on the internet in 2014 and fans went nuts. Fast-forward two years later and fans got their Deadpool movie. Reynolds has spoken about the leak several times and every time there’s always an implied *wink wink* *nudge nudge* to the audience. So whether he really did leak it himself or not, we love how he still plays with the fans on the origins of this great movie franchise.

“Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves” came out in 1997. That was the last time Rick Moranis was seen acting on-screen. He took a major break from live-action acting to take care of his two kids after having lost his wife in 1991, though he continued to do voice work. With such a huge career behind him, fans have been hoping to see more of his signature comedy for years. That is, until Ryan put out a commercial for “Mint Mobile” (more on that venture later) featuring the comedy legend. And in true Ryan fashion, Moranis doesn’t have many actual lines, and Reynolds makes it clear he was just a huge fan and wanted him to be there. It’s no “Ghostbusters” cameo, but we’ll take any Rick Moranis we can get.

It’s safe to say that most people have seen or heard of “The Masked Singer” by now. But in 2018, before its Western remake, Ryan Reynolds appeared on the original South Korean version. His star power made him one of the biggest and most shocking celebrity reveals up to that point. In honor of Deadpool, Reynolds wore a unicorn mask — complete with a sparkly silver cape and rainbow trim. As hilarious, absurd and unexpected as his appearance was, we’d just like to point out that Reynold’s performance was actually solid. Is he going to win “The Voice”? No, but he’s certainly earned himself a place in a musical, should the right role come along. And just look at the reaction he got.

It started with a simple request from Tom Holland. Can you put a shirt on while doing a handstand? Holland filmed his successful attempt and posted it to Instagram while challenging 3 other actors, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Reynolds to do the same. Although Jake went ahead and completed the challenge, Ryan’s response was not at all what Holland expected. Instead of propping himself up against a wall, Reynolds responded with a one-word video: “No”. In the 15 second post, Reynolds just stares on completely confused, while definitively saying no to any kind of challenge.

We’ve done lists about how Deadpool himself has made fun of the MCU and its characters. But Ryan himself has even found ways to get a jab in, now and then. In the late 2010s, directors the Russo Brothers put out memos asking fans not to spoil the end of the Infinity Saga if they had seen the movies. In true Ryan Reynolds style, he had a similar letter written and posted it online. He of course was far more satirical and even suggested he didn’t even know the plot of the upcoming Deadpool sequel. It’s made even better by the fact he talks about a major death, which was a huge plot point in the “Avengers” films.

As you’ll see later on in this list, there’s been an ongoing bit of banter between Ryan and his “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” castmate Hugh Jackman. The two have made potshots at each other for awhile. But one notable moment came in 2020 when the cast of the “X-Men” movies had a virtual reunion via Zoom, featuring Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, and other prominent members of the cast. Reynolds “accidentally” joins the meeting, bringing a few members from other X-Men films with him. It’s both funny and awkward as Jackman tries to tell him to leave as other cast members sign off. Staged or not, we loved how Ryan just inserted himself into a completely different franchise all for the fun of it.

If we’ve learned anything from Aviation Gin, it’s this. (remove this line) If you’ve got a company in need of a committed, hands-on celebrity stakeholder, you can’t ask for better than Ryan Reynolds. In 2019, the actor bought into Mint Mobile, a telecommunications company offering low-cost mobile phone services. Just as he did with another company we’ll discuss shortly, Reynolds put a lot of himself into the company. But the Mint Mobile Plus joke takes his metamarketing to new heights. Mint Mobile Plus was a faux streaming service launched to promote the company. It features only one movie — 2003’s “Foolproof” starring Ryan Reynolds. The website has since been taken down, but the hilarious memories live on.

Reynolds may be known for his quick wit, and sarcastic humor, but one thing he’s very committed to is his children. He’s posted countless items on social media about being a dad, but has also made a point of passing on advice to upcoming fathers. During an episode of “Late Night With Seth Meyers”, the two spoke about the delivery of his child and what advice he had for new dads. It all came down to this line: [b-roll: “Just do the dirty work, man”]. As much as we love his jovial banter, we adore the side of him that is just another father out there… who just happens to carry katanas, so maybe be extra nice to him.

At one time, if a fan wanted to communicate with an actor, they’d send them a fan letter and likely never hear back from them. Now, thanks to social media, people can send messages and interact with their favorite celebrities quite easily. Often, much of it gets ignored, but when it comes to Ryan Reynolds, he’s at the top of his game. With a quick scan through his Twitter feed, you’ll find countless hilarious quips, replies, and terrible pieces of advice for complete strangers, all in the name of “fan interaction”. Sure, there’s some press stuff in there too, but digging through the mountain of tweets, it’s clear Reynolds loves trolling his fans as much as he does his own wife.

Commercials come and go. We’re bombarded with so much advertising that it takes something really remarkable to leave a lasting impression. But when Peloton dropped this ad, it went viral in the worst possible way, with people labelling the whole thing sexist, uncomfortable, offensive and extremely out-of-touch. Some went so far as to call it “dystopian”. Unfortunately, actress Monica Ruiz found herself caught in the crossfire of all this bad press. Well, Reynolds knows all too well what’s it like to be the face of a project gone bad. And so, being the comedic class act that he is, he helped give Ruiz the chance to star in a commercial for Aviation Gin, a spirit he has “an ongoing ownership interest in,” poking fun at the whole thing.

The 2020 sale of Aviation Gin involved a reputed sum of $610 million. Now, Reynolds is only one stakeholder, so it’s not like he’s personally receiving a cheque for that amount, but it likely resulted in a solid payday nonetheless. In honor of the occasion, the actor set up a hilarious out-of-office reply in which he poked fun at his business savvy and the sale of the company. In short, it’s an apology to “everyone I told to go f**k themselves in the last 24 hours.” The list is VERY long and includes his mom, Blake Lively, The Rock, TGI Friday’s, AMC Theaters and George Clooney. For the record, this isn’t the first time he’s gotten creative with his work email.

It’s easy to get laughs when talking about lighthearted subject matter, but making the world a better place with comedy? That takes serious talent. Reynolds has gotten involved with a number of official causes over the years, but one that seems personally important to him is mental health — anxiety, to be specific. Reynolds has acknowledged his own struggles with anxiety in a number of tweets over the years. Oftentimes, though not always, he laces them with humor. He’s also opened up about his battle with anxiety in a number of interviews, even acknowledging that, in his twenties, he self-medicated. His general advice? Give yourself “permission to be nervous”.

Being in a relationship is hard — especially when it involves raising children. But doing all of the above while also being in the public eye? That sounds downright exhausting. Thankfully, it would seem that husband and wife team Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have found a winning formula. They use humor, even on social media, to diffuse the tension. While so many couples work day and night to maintain a veneer of perfection, they crack jokes at each other’s expense. And you know what? Not only does it humanize the couple, but it also inspires far more confidence in their relationship than the most carefully curated life ever could. And when Reynolds gushes about Blake Lively and their kids, you can tell it’s 100% authentic.

As previously mentioned, though the brand has since been sold, Reynolds continues to have "an ongoing ownership interest" in Aviation Gin. Before the sale though, he had quite the business deal going before Diageo snapped it up. And you know what, it couldn't have happened to a nicer or more deserving guy! As any A-list celebrity will tell you, it’s crucial to diversify your revenue stream, because hey, what if the acting gigs dry up? Rather than just buy into a brand, like so many of his peers, when Reynolds purchased a stake in Aviation Gin in 2018, he made it a true passion project. Not only did he appear in a number of ads, but he helped the company find its marketing voice. Through a number of commercials and promotional videos, Reynolds made Aviation Gin synonymous with his own authentic and distinct brand of humor - which is equal parts false bravado and self-deprecation.

Is Deadpool a kid-friendly hero? Not in the slightest. But there’s no telling children who they should or should not look up to, and Deadpool’s unique brand of humor and antiheroism has resonated with fans of all ages. And for all the character’s unsavory elements, the guy underneath the mask couldn’t be more caring, considerate or worthy of a child's adoration. Since the release of the first “Deadpool” film in 2016, Ryan Reynolds has volunteered his time to make dreams come true - specifically those of children fighting cancer. So while Deadpool might not think of himself as a hero, we think that the actions of Ryan Reynolds, when in costume, prove otherwise. Furthermore, he continues to do good work in various outfits.

With all due respect to Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon, we’re giving the award for “Greatest Frenemies” to these two guys. For years now, Reynolds and Jackman have been playing up a supposed epic feud. It reportedly dates back to 2008, when Jackman gave Reynolds a hard time about dating his friend Scarlett Johansson. They’ve since traded plenty of shots about Deadpool being the black sheep of the “X-Men” franchise, but this battle has spread to encompass all aspects of their respective personal lives and careers.They’ve called a truce on a few occasions, but more often than not, it’s all part of the bit. They’ve put it on pause a few times during the Covid-19 pandemic, most notably for charity and for a young fan - but they’ve still managed to slip in jabs at each other here and there as well.