Actor Ryan Reynolds started out in television before becoming a big-screen success in Hollywood. His first major breakthrough came with the 2002 comedy National Lampoon's Van Wilder. Since then, Reynolds has become known for his starring role in Deadpool and for his high-profile relationship with wife Blake Lively.

Ryan Rodney Reynolds was born on October 23, 1976, in Vancouver, Canada. The youngest of four boys, Reynolds "was a really nervous kid," he told GQ magazine. "I was extremely sensitive ... I was so aware of everything around me." He found sanctuary in school productions where his vulnerability could be an asset rather than a problem. At the age of 12, Reynolds landed his first professional acting job. He was cast in a Canadian teen drama first called Hillside and later renamed Fifteen when it aired in the United States. The show ran from 1991 to 1993.

After Fifteen, Reynolds struggled to get his career off the ground. He was cast in a few small roles, including a guest spot on The X-Files. Still Reynolds needed to take odd jobs to make ends meet after completing high school. For a time, he worked a late-night shift at a supermarket.