History of Ryan Reynolds in Timeline
Ryan Reynolds is a Canadian-American actor, entrepreneur, and producer. He is best known for his roles in comedic and superhero films, achieving recognition as one of the highest-paid actors globally in both 2020 and 2024. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Films in which he has had a leading role have grossed $6.5 billion worldwide.
1907: Painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I
In 1907, the painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt was created, which Ryan Reynolds' character seeks to recover in the movie Woman in Gold.
1961: Publication of James and the Giant Peach
In 1961, Roald Dahl's book James and the Giant Peach was published which Reynolds participated in reading to support a non-profit organization.
2000: Deadpool film in development
As early as 2000, a film based on Deadpool was in development.
2002: Began Dating Alanis Morissette
In 2002, Ryan Reynolds began dating singer Alanis Morissette after meeting her at Drew Barrymore's birthday party.
2004: Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2004: Engagement to Alanis Morissette
In 2004, Ryan Reynolds and Alanis Morissette announced their engagement.
February 2007: Called Off Engagement with Alanis Morissette
In February 2007, Ryan Reynolds and Alanis Morissette's representatives confirmed they had mutually decided to call their engagement off.
April 2007: Began Dating Scarlett Johansson
Shortly after his breakup with Alanis Morissette, in April 2007, Ryan Reynolds began dating actress Scarlett Johansson.
2007: People's Sexiest Men Alive List
In 2007, Ryan Reynolds was featured in People's Sexiest Men Alive lists.
May 2008: Engagement to Scarlett Johansson
In May 2008, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson announced their engagement.
2008: Ran New York City Marathon for Team Fox
In 2008, Ryan Reynolds ran the New York City Marathon for Team Fox to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
2009: Adventureland
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Adventureland (2009) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2009: Joined board of Michael J. Fox Foundation
In 2009, Ryan Reynolds joined the board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and continues to support research for a cure for Parkinson's disease.
2009: Portrayal of Wade Wilson / Weapon XI in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
In 2009, Ryan Reynolds portrayed Wade Wilson / Weapon XI in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", leading to his heavy involvement in developing a "Deadpool" film.
2009: People's Sexiest Men Alive List
In 2009, Ryan Reynolds was featured in People's Sexiest Men Alive lists.
July 2010: Met Blake Lively
In July 2010, Ryan Reynolds first met Blake Lively while filming Green Lantern (2011), in which they costarred.
December 14, 2010: Separation from Scarlett Johansson
On December 14, 2010, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson announced their separation.
2010: Buried
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Buried (2010) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2010: Sexiest Man Alive
In 2010, Ryan Reynolds was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.
July 2011: Divorce Finalized
In July 2011, Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson's divorce was finalized.
October 2011: Began Dating Blake Lively
In October 2011, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively began dating.
2011: The Whale
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Whale (2011) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
September 9, 2012: Married Blake Lively
On September 9, 2012, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively married at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
2012: Starred in Safe House and cameo in Ted
In 2012, Ryan Reynolds starred in the action thriller "Safe House" alongside Denzel Washington, playing CIA agent Matt Weston. Also in 2012, he made a cameo appearance in the comedy "Ted".
2013: Starred in R.I.P.D.
In 2013, Ryan Reynolds played Nick Walker in "R.I.P.D.", a film that was a box-office bomb and panned by critics.
2013: Voiced roles in The Croods and Turbo
In 2013, Ryan Reynolds voiced Guy in DreamWorks' "The Croods," and the titular character, Turbo, in DreamWorks' "Turbo."
2014: Starred in The Voices and The Captive
In 2014, Ryan Reynolds starred in the horror comedy "The Voices" as Jerry Hickfang, and also starred in the psychological thriller "The Captive" as Matthew.
2014: Hollywood's Most Popular Actor
In 2014, The Hollywood Reporter's Richard Newby recognized Ryan Reynolds as "one of Hollywood's most popular actors for nearly 20 years", acknowledging his diverse range of roles, predominantly in comedy, action, and superhero films.
2015: Mississippi Grind
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Mississippi Grind (2015) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2015: Starred in Mississippi Grind, Woman in Gold, and Self/less
In 2015, Ryan Reynolds starred as Curtis in "Mississippi Grind", portrayed E. Randol Schoenberg in "Woman in Gold", and starred in the science fiction film "Self/less".
2015: Death of Father
In 2015, Ryan Reynolds's father, James, died following a twenty-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
December 15, 2016: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
On December 15, 2016, Ryan Reynolds received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
2016: Deadpool
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Deadpool (2016) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2016: Critical and commercial success with Deadpool
In 2016, Ryan Reynolds achieved significant critical and commercial success with the superhero film "Deadpool", grossing $782 million.
2016: Starred in Criminal
In 2016, Ryan Reynolds had a supporting role in the action thriller "Criminal" as Bill Pope, a character who is tortured and killed early in the film.
2016: Golden Globe Nomination
In 2016, Ryan Reynolds received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his role in Deadpool.
June 2017: Filming for Deadpool 2 started
In June 2017, filming for the sequel to "Deadpool" began.
2017: Starred in Life and The Hitman's Bodyguard
In 2017, Reynolds reunited with Daniel Espinosa in the science fiction Life. Reynolds also starred in Patrick Hughes's action comedy film The Hitman's Bodyguard.
2017: Time 100 List
In 2017, Ryan Reynolds was included in the Time 100 list, which is a compilation of the 100 most influential people in the world, selected annually by Time magazine.
January 2018: Launched Maximum Effort and developing Clue
In January 2018, Ryan Reynolds launched the production company Maximum Effort and announced a live-action adaptation of the board game Clue was in development.
February 2018: Acquired stake in Aviation American Gin
In February 2018, Ryan Reynolds acquired a stake in Aviation American Gin, overseeing the brand's creative direction.
2018: Deadpool 2
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Deadpool 2 (2018) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2018: Grammy Nomination for Deadpool 2 Soundtrack
For the soundtrack of Deadpool 2 in 2018, Ryan Reynolds received a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
2018: Discussed Anxiety
In 2018, Ryan Reynolds revealed his lifelong struggle with anxiety, noting he would often conduct interviews in character as Deadpool to manage his fears.
November 2019: Purchased ownership stake in Mint Mobile
In November 2019, Ryan Reynolds purchased an ownership stake in Mint Mobile.
2019: Voiced Detective Pikachu and starred in 6 Underground
In 2019, Ryan Reynolds voiced the titular character in "Detective Pikachu" and starred in Michael Bay's action film "6 Underground".
May 2020: Joined reading of James and the Giant Peach
In May 2020, Ryan Reynolds joined a group of celebrities in reading an installment of Roald Dahl's "James and the Giant Peach" to support Partners In Health.
July 2020: Offered reward for stolen teddy bear
In July 2020, Ryan Reynolds and George Stroumboulopoulos each offered $5,000 for the return of a stolen teddy bear belonging to a Vancouver woman, which was recovered within a few days.
September 2020: Talks to purchase Wrexham soccer club
In September 2020, it was announced that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were in talks to purchase the Welsh soccer club Wrexham.
November 2020: Confirmed takeover of Wrexham
In November 2020, the takeover of Wrexham by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney was confirmed.
2020: The Croods: A New Age
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Croods: A New Age (2020) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2020: Celebrity 100 List
In 2020, Ryan Reynolds appeared in the Celebrity 100 list, a compilation of the 100 most powerful public figures in the world, as selected annually by Forbes, where he was listed as the eighteenth-most-powerful person in the world. That same year, Forbes also listed him as the second-highest-paid actor in the world, with earnings of $71.5 million.
2020: Described The Voices as a favorite movie
In 2020, Ryan Reynolds described the movie "The Voices" as "one of my favorite movies I've ever done" despite it not getting its day in court.
2020: Joined Match Group board and sold Aviation American Gin
In 2020, Ryan Reynolds joined the board of Match Group and later sold Aviation American Gin to Diageo in a deal valued at up to $610 million.
2020: Reprised voice role in The Croods: A New Age and starred in Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
In 2020, Ryan Reynolds reprised his voice role as Guy in "The Croods: A New Age" and reprised the role of Michael Bryce in "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard".
2020: Apology for Plantation Wedding Venue
In 2020, following civil rights protests, Ryan Reynolds publicly apologized and expressed deep regret for choosing a wedding venue with ties to slavery.
2020: First Time Voting
Ryan Reynolds attained American citizenship around 2018, and in 2020, he voted for the first time in the presidential election.
February 2021: Approval from Financial Conduct Authority for Wrexham purchase
In February 2021, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney received approval from the Financial Conduct Authority for their purchase of the Welsh soccer club Wrexham.
June 23, 2021: Maximum Effort's marketing division acquired
On June 23, 2021, Maximum Effort's marketing division was spun off into a separate company and acquired by MNTN Software.
October 2021: Announced a sabbatical
In October 2021, Ryan Reynolds announced he was taking "a little sabbatical" from his work after the production of "Spirited".
November 26, 2021: Governor General Performing Arts Award
On November 26, 2021, Mary Simon, governor general of Canada honoured Ryan Reynolds with a Governor General Performing Arts Award.
2021: Free Guy
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Free Guy (2021) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2021: Starred in Free Guy and Red Notice
In 2021, Ryan Reynolds starred in "Free Guy" and "Red Notice".
March 2022: Donated to Water First
In March 2022, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $500,000 to Water First, an organization providing Indigenous communities in Canada with access to clean water.
October 2022: Honoured with Humanitarian Award
In October 2022, Ryan Reynolds was honoured with the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Humanitarian Award at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.
2022: Pledged to match donations for Ukrainian refugees
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pledged to match donations of up to $1 million for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.
2022: Pursued ownership of Ottawa Senators
In 2022, Reynolds briefly pursued ownership of the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators.
2022: Starred in The Adam Project and Spirited
In 2022, Ryan Reynolds starred in "The Adam Project" and "Spirited".
2022: Welcome to Wrexham
In 2022, the television documentary series Welcome to Wrexham covering the process of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's investment in Wrexham started airing.
March 2023: T-Mobile acquired Mint Mobile
In March 2023, T-Mobile announced its acquisition of Mint Mobile in a deal worth up to $1.35 billion.
April 2023: Invested in Nuvei
In April 2023, Ryan Reynolds invested in the Canadian payments technology company Nuvei.
April 2023: Dialogue Written by Reynolds for 'It Ends With Us'
In April 2023, Ryan Reynolds reportedly wrote a significant portion of dialogue for a rooftop scene in 'It Ends With Us' featuring Blake Lively without director Justin Baldoni's knowledge, leading to speculation about a rift.
August 2023: Donated to SAG-AFTRA Foundation
In August 2023, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $1 million to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's financial assistance program.
August 2023: Order of British Columbia
In August 2023, Ryan Reynolds was announced as a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, British Columbia's highest honour.
October 2023: Donated to International Committee of the Red Cross
In October 2023, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to support children affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
November 2023: Order of British Columbia Ceremony
Ryan Reynolds and his fellow honorees were scheduled to receive the Order of British Columbia at a ceremony in Victoria in November 2023.
August 2024: Films led box office
In August 2024, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively became the first married Hollywood couple since Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in 1990 to have separate films leading the box office on the same weekend. Their respective films, "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "It Ends with Us" claimed the number one and two spots.
October 2024: Donated to Feeding America
In October 2024, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively donated $1 million to Feeding America to aid relief efforts in Florida and other U.S. regions affected by the hurricanes.
November 2024: Taylor Swift is the godmother
In November 2024, Ryan Reynolds confirmed that Taylor Swift is the godmother to his three daughters.
December 19, 2024: Officer of the Order of Canada
On December 19, 2024, Ryan Reynolds was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, recognizing both his achievements in film and his philanthropic contributions.
2024: Deadpool & Wolverine
According to review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) is one of Ryan Reynolds's most acclaimed films.
2024: Second-Highest-Paid Actor and Hottest Men List
In 2024, Forbes listed Ryan Reynolds as the second-highest-paid actor in the world, with earnings of $85 million. That year, he was also included on Harper's Bazaar's list of the 50 Hottest Men of All Time.
2024: Anxiety Makes Him Quiet and Shy
In 2024, Ryan Reynolds reiterated that his anxiety makes him "quiet" and "shy" outside of acting.
2024: Controversy Surrounding 'It Ends With Us'
In 2024, the production of 'It Ends with Us' was embroiled in controversy due to conflicts between Blake Lively and the film's director, Justin Baldoni.
2024: Grammy Nomination for Deadpool & Wolverine Soundtrack
Ryan Reynolds was nominated for the soundtrack of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024.
January 16, 2025: Baldoni's Lawsuit
On January 16, 2025, Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million civil lawsuit against Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, alleging extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy related to the production of "It Ends With Us".
March 2025: Reynolds' Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit
In March 2025, Ryan Reynolds filed a motion to be dismissed from Justin Baldoni's lawsuit, claiming he had no involvement in the matter outside of supporting Blake Lively and rejected the claim that the character Nicepool (as portrayed in Deadpool & Wolverine) was a caricature of Baldoni.
2025: Film Grosses
As of 2025, Ryan Reynolds's films have grossed over $6.5 billion worldwide according to The Numbers.
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