by Ryan Reynolds has become one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men and creative forces over the past two decades.
While his rise to stardom involved years of hard work and opportunity, it’s possible that a few pivotal phone calls helped shift the trajectory of both his career and personal life. Though it’s impossible to say definitively which conversations were most impactful, here are some of the top candidates based on Reynolds’s journey from sitcom star to box office draw and prolific producer.
The Phone Call for “Van Wilder”
In the early 2000s, Reynolds had established himself as a comedic talent through his role on the sitcom “Two Guys and a Girl.” However, it was a random audition that truly launched him as a leading man. In 2001, Reynolds received a call from his agent about trying out for the raunchy college comedy “Van Wilder.” At the time, Reynolds was best known for his clean-cut TV persona, so the risqué role of the party-loving seventh-year senior was a major departure.
Reynolds nailed the audition and landed the starring role. Upon its 2002 release, “Van Wilder” became a box office success, grossing over $18 million against a modest $12 million budget. While not a critical darling, the film showcased Reynolds’s comedic chops and sex appeal in a way that his sitcom role never could. It proved he had what it takes to open a major studio comedy as the lead. “Van Wilder” opened the door for many more leading roles to come and established Reynolds as a new kind of comedy star – one willing to push boundaries and take comedic risks. That fateful agent phone call changed the entire trajectory of his career in Hollywood.
The Phone Call for “Deadpool”
Nearly a decade after “Van Wilder,” Reynolds had continued starring in big-budget comedies and action films with mixed results. However, one role had long captured his imagination – the mercenary antihero Deadpool. Reynolds had been trying to get a “Deadpool” movie made for years, seeing the character’s potential for subversive R-rated humor and action long before the superhero boom.
In 2014, Reynolds got a call from producers at Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox expressing interest in finally moving forward with the project. After over a decade of development hell, Reynolds’s persistence had paid off. Of course, making the film a reality required another pivotal call – the one where Reynolds convinced director Tim Miller and the other creatives to embrace the character’s fourth-wall breaking nature.
Released in 2016, “Deadpool” was a massive critical and commercial hit, grossing $783 million worldwide against a $58 million budget. It proved there was a huge appetite for R-rated superhero films done right and reinvented Reynolds’s action hero persona. The success also gave Reynolds more leverage in Hollywood, allowing him to take on riskier projects and negotiate for more creative control. “Deadpool” changed the game for both Reynolds and the superhero genre at large. Without that fateful call, it may never have happened.
The Phone Call About Maximum Effort
By the late 2010s, Reynolds had cemented his status as a top box office draw. However, he also made it clear he craved more involvement behind the camera. In 2018, Reynolds took his creative ambitions to the next level with a phone call announcing the formation of his own production company – Maximum Effort.
The company, founded along with longtime collaborator George Dewey, aimed to give Reynolds more control over the projects he chooses and produces. One of Maximum Effort’s first undertakings was acquiring the rights to develop the time travel film “The Adam Project” for Netflix. Reynolds would produce and star in the 2023 release. Since then, Maximum Effort has been behind several of Reynolds’s passion projects like “Free Guy” and the animated series “Welcome to Wrexham.”
Forming his own shingle allowed Reynolds to take bigger creative swings outside the studio system. It’s given him the freedom to champion more offbeat concepts and cultivate new talent. That initial phone call conversation paved the way for Reynolds to fully transition into a hands-on producer role in addition to acting. It marked a turning point in his career as he took more ownership over his artistic vision and brand.
The Phone Call That Led To Love
While not directly career related, there’s no doubt one phone call deeply impacted Reynolds’s personal life – the one that connected him with wife Blake Lively. The two actors met while filming the 2011 Green Lantern, but it’s believed sparks didn’t fly until a chance run-in months later. As the story goes, Reynolds randomly called Lively one day to catch up as friends. Their conversation evolved into flirtation, leading to a real first date.
Within a year, Reynolds and Lively were engaged. They’ve now been married for over a decade and share three daughters together. That simple check-in call ignited a romance that has brought Reynolds immense joy outside of Hollywood. While Lively hasn’t directly influenced his career path, her partnership and support have no doubt enhanced Reynolds’s life experience. For an actor who pours so much of himself into his roles, finding love and stability at home is just as meaningful.
The Unknown Pivotal Call
Of course, any of these conversations could be eclipsed by a phone call that hasn’t made headlines. The reality is there were likely countless career-altering and behind-the-scenes discussions over Reynolds’s two decades in showbiz. An unknown pep talk from a mentor, a surprise offer that came out of nowhere, an impromptu creative brainstorm – any single moment may have tipped the dominoes in an unexpected direction.
While we can only speculate about Reynolds’s journey based on the visible outcomes, the true story involves countless chance encounters, close calls and group efforts that shaped his path. Reynolds’s continued success is a testament to his talent and hustle and those who believed in him early on. Wherever it leads next, one thing is clear – Reynolds will keep answering the phone, ready for whatever opportunity is on the other end of the line.
In closing, while the exact calls can’t be pinpointed, it’s evident that pivotal conversations, both career and personal, have profoundly impacted Ryan Reynolds’s life and career trajectory over the past 20 years. A few well-timed phone discussions opened doors to major breakthrough roles, creative control and even true love. Reynolds’s story shows how opportunity and serendipity and consistently seizing opportunities can reap major rewards in Hollywood and beyond.
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