Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood’s finest acting talents. Hailing from Canada, he started out in television, making his acting debut in the teen drama Fifteen, before finding big screen success in the 2002 comedy National Lampoon's Van Wilder.
Since then, he’s starred in everything from much-loved rom-coms including Definitely, Maybe to big-budget blockbusters including the hit superhero film Deadpool, which won him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor.
Now 43, he continues to dominate the screen, with an upcoming role in the comedy Free Guy (he’s starring alongside Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer), and he’s also been confirmed to star in a musical reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol - we can hardly wait! Here, we take a look back at some of Ryan's best performances to date…
Deadpool
When Deadpool hit screens in 2016, it broke box office records and Ryan proved himself to be quite the superhero - or perhaps more fittingly, the antihero. The film sees him play the title character, also known as Wade Wilson, who hunts the man who gave him mutant abilities and a scarred physical appearance. His secret weapon? A healing power that lets him recover from almost any physical injury.
The Proposal
If there's a rom-com you can watch over and over, it has to be this one. When workaholic Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation for an expired visa, she forces her assistant Andrew (Ryan) to marry her. The result is hilarious, heartwarming - and the chemistry between Ryan and Sandra is simply too good to miss.
Woman in Gold
This incredible biographical drama is based on the true story of Maria Altmann (played superbly by Dame Helen Mirren), an elderly Jewish refugee who took on the Austrian government to recover artwork she believed rightfully belonged to her family. Ryan's transformation into the young lawyer, Randy Schoenberg, who handled her case is truly impressive - and let's just say that he and Helen make a powerful double act.
Self/less
If sci-fi is your thing, you'll love this high tech thriller. Business tycoon and billionaire, Damian Hale, is dying from cancer - until he undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (played by Ryan). It's a great plot, made even more appealing by a winning performance from Ryan.
Definitely, Maybe
This touching rom-com is guaranteed to make you feel all warm inside. Ryan plays a 30-something father in the midst of a divorce who takes a trip down memory lane when his 10-year-old daughter asks about his life before marriage. Add a clever script and co-stars Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz into the mix and you've got a recipe for big screen success.
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The Hitman's Bodyguard
Ryan plays the bodyguard to Samuel L Jackson's hitman in this high-octane action comedy. It's Ryan's job to escort his client from London to the Hague, where the latter will testify against a criminal organisation at the International Court of Justice. But as the pair continue to find themselves in sticky situations along the way, it's touch-and-go whether they'll make it.
Buried
Not for the faint-hearted, this suspense thriller stars Ryan as a truck driver who's taken hostage in Iraq and buried alive in a coffin as his kidnappers demand a ransom. It's so engrossing that you can almost feel his fear as he's trapped inside. But be warned: if you've got a phobia of enclosed spaces, it's probably not for you!
Life
Ryan gets a change of scenery in this (pretty terrifying!) space thriller as one of six astronauts that uncover the first evidence of life on Mars. Their once-exciting discovery turns into a mission to survive when the harmless organism sealed inside a lab box grows bigger, stronger - and bloodthirsty.
Safe House
Ryan is back on duty, this time as a CIA rookie who’s manning a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa. Responsible for looking after Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), the CIA's most wanted rogue agent, the plan quickly changes when gunmen come after Frost and both men go on the run together. It’s nail-bitingly tense stuff.
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