It’s far to say Ryan Reynolds is known for his funny guy reputation in Hollywood. He shares hilariously sarcastic posts about his married life with Blake Lively, is clever in interviews and notably stars in major Hollywood comedies. However, recently lifestyle icon Martha Stewart threw a wrench in this reputation, claiming Reynolds isn’t as funny in real life as his public persona may suggest. Now, the Deadpool actor is opening up about these comments and making a “serious” point about Hollywood personas and his approach to criticism.
While speaking to THR, the Canadian actor discussed being a prolific producer in Hollywood as well as what interests him creatively. He also got candid about the media’s perception of him and handling criticism while being a leader in the business. Talk eventually turned to Martha Stewart’s public comments, which led to a lot of speculation on social media that Ryan Reynolds’ keen sense of humor may be all for the cameras. The actor said he took the whole thing in stride, explaining how this kind of commentary is just all part of the job:
If you can’t take a punch in this business, you’re in trouble. But why would people ever assume the way they see you on camera is how you’re going to be in real life? Right? You’re just a person. But I do it, too. I’m a fan of people and I love certain people’s work, and I’m thinking when I meet them, I want to see little glimpses of that.
The actor also partially agreed with Martha Stewart’s observation — that with being on camera comes a certain level of performance. He also gave the former talk show host grace for her comments while explaining why he understands where the commentary came from:
I don’t think what happened was designed to hurt anyone. That was just an incredibly valid observation that someone made. Lots of people would say I’m very serious if they met me. I can’t imagine entering any room in which I don’t intimately know the people, where I suddenly kind of turn on and perform.
This makes a lot of sense, especially considering how people in general may respond to different social situations. Some individuals are more outgoing in big groups than they are one-on-one and vice versa. If you add a camera in the mix, there’s an inherent responsibility to appear likable and relatable to the general public. It’s a strange situation to be in, and Ryan Reynolds responding to this pressure with humor makes a lot of sense. Of course, not every situation in life is well suited for a quip or funny commentary, and it would be unfair to pressure someone, even a celebrity, to respond a certain way.
Even though there’s a natural explanation for Martha Stewart’s take on Ryan Reynolds, at least one of the Red Notice star’s friends still quickly came to his defense. Hugh Jackman jokingly agreed with Stewart at first. However, he later stated that his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star was even more hilarious in his personal life. The two actors likely have known each other longer than Stewart (who’s Reynolds’ neighbor) has, so maybe her comments should just be taken with a grain of salt.
In short, it can be said that people contain multitudes. So it’s understandable that someone with as much business success as the Adam Project star could be both serious and funny at the same time.
You can see Ryan Reynolds in his latest film, Deadpool & Wolverine, which is available to stream now with a Disney+ subscription, along with the rest of the Deadpool movies. For more information on other exciting titles heading to streaming and the big screen this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.