THE SECRET TO MY MARRIAGE
The Pokémon: Detective Pikachu star Ryan Reynolds spills on family life and what’s next
These days, Ryan Reynolds is probably best known for playing a foul-mouthed, red-suited superhero in the Deadpool movies. Fun as that part is, it’s not exactly suitable viewing for two of his major fans – daughters James, 4, and Inez, 2. That’s why he embraced a gig the kids could really get behind, voicing the cuddly, mouselike Pokèmon creation Pikachu in a familyfriendly animated film out May 10. “To be a part of a film that my wife, Blake [Lively], is as excited about as my two daughters is unusual and super exciting for me,” says Reynolds. The witty Canadian has been working in Hollywood since his early 20s, starring in movies such as Green Lantern and The Proposal, but at 42, he’s redefined his idea of success: “When I was younger my objectives were so low. I just wanted to be a working actor,” he says. But nothing compares to being a dad. “I have a love for my kids that I never really thought was possible.”
How do you and Blake balance working in Hollywood with marriage and family? Blake and I don’t do movies at the same time. If she is doing a movie in Thailand and I am doing a movie in Vancouver, we would just never see each other. We operate as a unit and that works really well for us. The kids stay with us and the family stays together and that is where home is. So, if we are in Spain or Utah or New York, as long as we are together we’re home.
That must mean a lot of plane rides with little kids …
Usually when I’m on an airplane with my kids at some point I get up and ask the flight attendants if I can leave the aircraft. Ninety nine per cent of the time they say, “No, please stay seated!” So I just sit back down and long for the sweet release of death.
Do you have anything planned yet for Blake for Mother’s Day?
Just some skydiving, maybe some skywriting. I am going to see if I can get one of those blimps that say something nice.
But seriously, what did you learn from the huge success of Deadpool?
It taught me if you have a truly authentic connection to something it can explode. That connection and that love can be infectious. I have a connection and love for Deadpool that people see as very real. I love playing the character and I love marketing Deadpool. I love everything about it and I think it shows. When people approach something with joy and love you tend to see it and catch it. What advice would you give your younger self about fatherhood?
That I will be able to do this better than my own father did. People can sometimes step in the very same footprints that were left by their parents. I had a great mum and to a certain extent my dad was great in a lot of ways but he also made some mistakes. I processed those mistakes in a way that allowed me to learn from them and not repeat them. I’m really grateful for that with my kids.
Being hilarious and handsome made him famous, but the ‘Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’ star says raising two kids with Blake Lively is the role of a lifetime