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Ryan Reynolds loves B.C.
And B.C. loves him right back.
Exclusive: Actor Ryan Reynolds creturns to receive Order of B.C.
Hollywood A-lister earns B.C.'s highest form of citizen recognition
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The A-list Hollywood actor and businessman was awarded the Order of British Columbia Wednesday by B.C. Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin in a private investiture ceremony in Vancouver.
After the ceremony Reynolds spoke exclusively to Postmedia about the honour, growing up a B.C. boy, his business philosophy and, of course, Deadpool.
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“There’s a surreal aspect to this that isn’t lost on me at all,” said the 47-year-old Reynolds.
“There is an element to this that feels a little bit like St. Peter at the gate and looking back at your life and watching only highlights, no lowlights which is kind of nice. I appreciate St. Peter’s editing. So, there’s that aspect, but it’s just an incredible honour to be recognized by my home. I don’t know a more succinct way to put it. This is a homecoming in every sense. I was pretty moved listening to those folks talk about me as if I can’t hear them.”
Premier David Eby was also at the ceremony and presented the Deadpool star.
“His clear demonstration of his character through action, supporting people who are less fortunate, being a kind, generous person and using his profile to advance good causes is what we would hope for everybody that has a position like his,” Eby said.
“As a father of a couple of kids, to know there are positive high-profile influencers like Mr. Reynolds in the world makes me glad.”
The former Kitsilano High School student said the province remains part of his story. He and his wife, actor Blake Lively, have discussed moving here with their four children.
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“We’ve been — I guess I could characterize it as — subtly looking for a while,” he said about relocating from Westchester County, N.Y.
“Thankfully my wife is obsessed with Vancouver and the food scene in Vancouver. I’m obsessed with the childhood that I was given and how privileged that was to grow up in a place like Vancouver, which I think has imbued tenants that I have taken and carried with me throughout my entire career. … It has really given me the tools to process and deal with a lot of the things maybe some of my peers maybe have slightly more maladaptive coping mechanisms to deal with.”
It also gave him a deep love for a local food staple.
“I eat a lot of salmon. I always have, always will,” Reynolds said of his most characteristic B.C. trait.
With the actors (SAG/AFTRA) now having a tentative agreement with the studios (AMPTP), Reynolds was headed to England to work on Deadpool 3, which had shut down due to the strike in mid-July and is halfway through its shooting schedule.
What he wouldn’t confirm are any rumours about Lively’s best pal Taylor Swift making an appearance in the film.
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“Yeah, I’ve heard that one,” said Reynolds laughing. “I love it (the gossip). I think it is a sign of how eager people are to get a peek behind the curtain in this world. Every single one of these secrets and spoilers will be revealed on July 26.”
With the next instalment shooting in England, Reynolds said he “fought like hell” to shoot the third Deadpool here.
With the industry rocking purchase of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019, Reynolds said “they have their infrastructure, and you just have to sort of fall in line. To a certain degree I understand that, but I miss home.”
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While the strike stalled his film career, Reynolds filled his time with family and a lucrative business career that included ownership of Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile, as well as big stakes in marketing company Maximum Effort, 1Password software and Wealthsimple.
He also is co-owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham — which Reynolds says will be back on TV for a third season of Welcome to Wrexham next March — and F1 Team Alpine.
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Actor Ryan Reynolds, star of Blade Trinity movie meets with press in Toronto, Nov. 10, 2004.SunMedia
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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at Comic-Con 2010, held at the San Diego Convention Center on July 24, 2010.Photo by VPC /WENN.com
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Actors Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds at the premiere of Green Lantern in Los Angeles on June 15, 2011.Photo by Matt Sayles /AP
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Actors Ryan Reynolds (left) and Jason Bateman talk at the after party for the premiere of Universal Pictures' The Change-Up at the Hammer Museum on Aug. 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.Photo by Kevin Winter /Getty Images
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Actors Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock arrive at the premiere of Universal Pictures' The Change-Up held at the Regency Village Theatre on Aug. 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.Photo by Kevin Winter /GETPICS
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Actors Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone attend The Croods premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater on March 10, 2013 in New York City.Photo by Neilson Barnard /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds visits NBC's Today at Rockefeller Plaza on July 9, 2013 in New York City.Photo by Slaven Vlasic /PROVINCE Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds poses side by side with his Madame Tussauds Hollywood wax figure on Oct. 21, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Photo by Sean Gardner /Getty Images for Madame Tussauds
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Canadian director Atom Egoyan (left) and actor Ryan Reynolds pose during a photocall for the film Captives at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2014. Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI /AFP/Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds attends a press conference for the film Captives at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2014. Photo by LOIC VENANCE /AFP via Getty Images
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Actor Ryan Reynolds poses for a selfie as he attends The Voices premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on Sept. 11, 2014.Photo by Leonard Adam /Getty Images
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Actor Ryan Reynolds during the Canada's Walk of Fame induction at the Sony Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto on Oct. 18, 2014.Photo by Dave Abel /Toronto Sun/QMI Agency
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Ryan Reynolds attends Music Lodge Hosts MTV Interview Studio on Jan. 25, 2015, in Park City, Utah.Photo by Clayton Chase /Getty Images for Music Lodge
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Ryan Reynolds poses on the red carpet during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 16, 2015.Photo by Darren Calabrese /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Ryan Reynolds on the red carpet for movie Mississippi Grind during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Wednesday Sept. 16, 2015.Photo by Dave Abel /Toronto Sun
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Actress Helen Mirren and actor Ryan Reynolds pose for photographers during a photocall for the film Woman in Gold presented as Berlinale Special at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale in Berlin, on Feb. 9, 2015. Photo by ODD ANDERSEN /AFP/Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds on the red carpet for movie Mississippi Grind during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Wednesday Sept. 16, 2015. Photo by Dave Abel /Toronto Sun
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Ryan Reynolds Visits The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at NBC Studios on Feb. 9, 2016, in New York City.Photo by Theo Wargo /Getty Images for NBC
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Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively arrive for the State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Trudeau and Mrs. Sophie Trudeau of Canada at the White House March 10, 2016, in Washington, DC.Photo by Pool /Getty
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Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pose with their daughters as Ryan Reynolds is honoured with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 15, 2016 in Hollywood, California.Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer /Getty Images
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Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively pose with their daughters as Ryan Reynolds is honoured with star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 15, 2016 in Hollywood, California.Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer /Getty Images
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Actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds attend the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo by Frazer Harrison /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds took a moment to discuss his personal connection to his childhood newspaper in a confessional Instagram post, sharing a photo of a painting commissioned by wife Blake Lively that commemorates his Vancouver heritage. Photo by Instagram
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Ryan Reynolds speaks onstage at the Deadpool 2 panel during Comic-Con International 2018 at San Diego Convention Center on July 21, 2018 in San Diego, California.Photo by Kevin Winter /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively attend the premiere of Pokemon Detective Pikachu at Military Island in Times Square on May 2, 2019 in New York City.Photo by Steven Ferdman /Getty Images
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Actor Ryan Reynolds attends the world premiere of Pokemon Detective Pikachu on April 25, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.Photo by Keith Tsuji /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds attends the Free Guy New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Aug. 3, 2021 in New York City.Photo by Jamie McCarthy /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds attends the premiere of Netflix's 6 Underground at The Shed at Hudson Yards on Dec. 10, 2019, in New York. Photo by Charles Sykes /The Associated Press
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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds arrive for the 2022 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York. Photo by ANGELA WEISS /AFP via Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell attend Apple Original Film's Spirited New York Premiere at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Nov. 7, 2022, in New York City.Photo by Cindy Ord /Getty Images,
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King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, meet with co-Owners of Wrexham AFC, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during their visit to Wrexham Association Football Club (AFC) on Dec. 9, 2022 in Wrexham, Wales. Photo by WPA Pool /Getty images
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Ryan Reynolds attends the Ottawa Senators game at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on March 30, 2023.Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia
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Ryan Reynolds attends the Ottawa Senators game at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on March 30, 2023.Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia
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Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate with players of Wrexham Men and Women during a Wrexham FC Bus Parade following their respective Title Winning Seasons in the Vanarama National League and Genero Adran North on May 2, 2023, in Wrexham, Wales.Photo by Jan Kruger /Getty Images
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Co-owner of Wrexham Football Club Ryan Reynolds and actor Hugh Jackman meet fans before the Sky Bet League Two match between Wrexham and Milton Keynes Dons at Stok Cae Ras stadium on Aug. 5, 2023 in Wrexham, Wales.Photo by Malcolm Couzens /Getty Images
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Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Owners of Wrexham, celebrate with the Vanarama National League trophy as Wrexham win the Vanarama National League and are promoted to the English Football League after victory in the Vanarama National League match between Wrexham and Boreham Wood at Racecourse Ground on April 22, 2023 in Wrexham, Wales.Photo by Jan Kruger /Getty Images
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Ryan Reynolds, recipient of the Humanitarian Award, presented by Paramount+, attends the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards - Comedic & Dramatic Arts Awards held at Meridian Hall on April 14, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario.Photo by Jeremy Chan /Getty Images
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Singer Taylor Swift and actor Ryan Reynolds talk prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 1, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.Photo by Elsa /Getty Images
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He says his business life is informed by his creative life.
“I do see it all as storytelling. There is a creativity behind branding and those kinds of things,” said Reynolds.
“I also tend to focus on things that are accessible. Many of my colleagues and peers in my original business of entertainment are in ambassadorial roles for luxury items or items that are aspirational and we’ve tended to focus on things that tend to be, well, anti-aspirational. More in the world of practical.
Joining Reynolds on Wednesday for the ceremony was his mother Tammy and his brothers Jeff, Terry, and Patrick.
“It’s just beautiful to have the whole family here and to celebrate Ryan,” said his mother. “I’m very proud of him as I am with all four boys.”
Reynolds and Lively support numerous charities and causes, including North American food banks, Covenant House Vancouver, Ukrainian refugees and Water First, which provides Indigenous Canadians with clean water.
“Yes, Ryan is a good actor, he’s got the ability. I don’t know where he got it from, it wasn’t me, but you know he is a great role model,” his mother said.
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“That’s what makes me so happy. … He is a humanitarian and a role model and I’m just so proud of him for that. He makes a difference in the world.”
Tomorrow: In part two of our interview, Reynolds reflects on growing up in Vancouver, getting back to work after the actors’ strike and offers advice to young actors.
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