It’s not every day that a television star makes the leap to Hollywood with the kind of versatility, humor, and heart that Ryan Reynolds has become known for. Today, we recognize him as the face of Deadpool, the charmingly irreverent anti-hero who broke box office records and delivered one of the most memorable performances in recent superhero history. But before he was a household name and a big-screen leading man, Ryan Reynolds cut his teeth in the trenches of television—working his way up through guest roles and sitcoms that shaped the actor and comedic force we know today.
Reynolds’ journey from the small screen to Hollywood superstardom is one marked by persistence, an evolving sense of humor, and an ability to play both the straight man and the snarky hero. To truly understand Ryan Reynolds’ meteoric rise in Hollywood, you have to look back at where it all began: on TV screens across North America, where a young Canadian actor slowly built a career brick by brick, role by role.
Early Beginnings: The Small Screen in Canada
Long before he was cracking wise in the red suit of Deadpool, Ryan Rodney Reynolds was just another actor trying to find his footing. Born in Vancouver, Canada, on October 23, 1976, Reynolds got his first taste of acting at a young age. By the time he was 12, Reynolds had already landed his first acting gig in the Canadian teen soap opera Hillside, later renamed Fifteen for American audiences.
Fifteen was no prime-time hit, but it gave Reynolds the exposure he needed to get his foot in the door. Airing on Nickelodeon, the show featured an ensemble of teen actors dealing with typical adolescent issues—school, friendships, dating—but Reynolds stood out, even then, for his natural ability to deliver lines with an easy-going charm. Though Fifteen wouldn’t propel him to stardom, it laid the foundation for a career in the entertainment industry that was only beginning to take shape.
But Reynolds wasn’t satisfied with being a teen soap star. He wanted more, and in the mid-90s, like many Canadian actors, he set his sights on breaking into the much larger American television industry.
Hollywood Calling: The Guest Role Hustle
Breaking into Hollywood is rarely glamorous, and for Ryan Reynolds, it was no different. The mid-90s were a time when Reynolds was finding himself in a mix of guest-starring roles on various TV shows, taking on any job that could help him gain recognition. These guest spots may not have been glamorous, but they were essential to his career growth, providing him with the opportunity to showcase his range as an actor and hone his comedic timing.
One of his early American TV appearances was on The X-Files, the iconic science fiction series created by Chris Carter. In 1996, Reynolds played a small role in the episode “Syzygy,” portraying a high school heartthrob whose life tragically ends. Though the role was minor, his performance in such a high-profile show began to get him noticed. It’s easy to look back now and see Reynolds’ name pop up in the credits of The X-Files with a sense of irony, given how far he has come since. But back then, it was just another small step toward bigger opportunities.
Another early guest role came in the 1993 TV movie Ordinary Magic, where Reynolds played a teenager discovering his own sense of identity and purpose after the death of his father. Though relatively obscure, the role hinted at something deeper within Reynolds—a kind of sensitivity and depth that would later inform his more dramatic roles. What was becoming clear in these early days was that Reynolds had more to offer than just his good looks; there was substance there, even if Hollywood hadn’t fully realized it yet.
But it wasn’t just drama where Reynolds thrived. Comedy would prove to be his sweet spot, and one of his early forays into the genre came in the form of a recurring role on the sitcom Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place.
The Sitcom That Changed Everything
If there was one show that introduced Ryan Reynolds to a wider American audience, it was Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. Debuting in 1998 on ABC, the sitcom followed the lives of three college students—Pete, Berg, and Sharon—as they navigated love, careers, and everything in between, all while working at a local pizza joint.
Reynolds’ portrayal of Michael “Berg” Bergen, the charming, sarcastic, and slightly immature medical student, was the role that showed what he could do with comedy. Berg’s antics and wit were perfectly suited to Reynolds’ personality, and his natural comedic timing turned him into the show’s standout character. For four seasons, Reynolds was the comedic heart of the show, delivering lines with the same irreverent, off-the-cuff energy that would later define his big-screen persona.
Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place may not have been a massive ratings success, but it became something of a cult hit, and for Reynolds, it was the launching pad he needed to begin making his mark in Hollywood. The show not only provided him with steady work, but it also allowed him to experiment with his comedic voice, a voice that would evolve and sharpen over the years.
As Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place came to an end in 2001, Reynolds found himself at a crossroads. He had established himself as a capable comedic actor on TV, but like many actors who find success on the small screen, he wanted to break into film. Hollywood was calling, but Reynolds needed that one breakout role that would allow him to make the jump from sitcom star to bona fide movie actor.
The First Big Break: Van Wilder and the Start of a Movie Career
That breakout role came in 2002 with Van Wilder: Party Liaison. In many ways, Van Wilder was the perfect vehicle for Reynolds—it was a raunchy college comedy about an eternally laid-back student who spends more time partying than studying. The role allowed Reynolds to fully lean into his comedic instincts while also tapping into his natural charm.
As Van Wilder, Reynolds was able to embody the classic archetype of the slacker hero, but he did so with an underlying sweetness and charisma that made the character more than just a one-note party animal. Van Wilder may not have been a critical darling, but it was a commercial success and quickly developed a cult following. More importantly, it put Reynolds on Hollywood’s radar in a big way.
With Van Wilder, Reynolds had proven that he could carry a film, and Hollywood began to take notice. It was the start of a new phase in his career—one that would see him gradually leave behind his sitcom roots and embrace the full spectrum of roles that the film industry had to offer.
Navigating the Hollywood Landscape: From Comedy to Drama
Though Van Wilder cemented his reputation as a comedic actor, Ryan Reynolds was far from content with being pigeonholed. He wanted to prove that he could do more than just make audiences laugh. Over the next few years, Reynolds began taking on a wide variety of roles, some comedic, some dramatic, in an effort to showcase his range.
In 2004, Reynolds starred in Blade: Trinity, playing the wise-cracking vampire hunter Hannibal King. The film wasn’t a critical success, but it further solidified Reynolds as an action-comedy star, a reputation that would follow him throughout his career. But more importantly, Blade: Trinity planted the seeds for what would eventually become Deadpool—a superhero role that allowed Reynolds to merge his comedic talent with the action-hero persona he had been developing.
Around this time, Reynolds also began exploring more dramatic roles. Films like The Amityville Horror (2005) and Smokin’ Aces (2006) gave Reynolds the opportunity to demonstrate a darker, more intense side of his acting abilities. He wasn’t content to rest on his comedic laurels; he wanted to prove that he could be a serious actor, and he approached these roles with the same dedication that had propelled him from television to film.
Reynolds’ willingness to take risks and step outside his comfort zone was beginning to pay off, and by the late 2000s, he had established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. He could do action, drama, and comedy, and he could do them all well. But despite his growing success, there was one role that still eluded him—a role that would define his career and solidify his place in Hollywood history.
The Deadpool Phenomenon: From TV Star to Global Icon
That role, of course, was Deadpool. Reynolds had been trying to bring the character to the big screen for years, and after a disastrous appearance as a watered-down version of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it seemed like the dream might never come to fruition. But Reynolds persisted, and in 2016, Deadpool finally hit theaters, exceeding all expectations.
The film was a massive box office success, grossing over $780 million worldwide, and it marked the culmination of everything Reynolds had been working toward. His comedic timing, his action-hero chops, and his willingness to take risks all came together in a role that was tailor-made for him. Deadpool wasn’t just a career-defining moment for Reynolds; it was a cultural phenomenon that redefined the superhero genre and solidified his place as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
From Small Screen Beginnings to Hollywood Stardom
Ryan Reynolds’ journey from TV guest roles to Hollywood superstardom is a testament to his persistence, talent, and adaptability. He wasn’t an overnight success—his career was built on years of hard work, taking on roles that allowed him to grow as an actor and a comedian. From his early days on Fifteen and Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place to his breakout role in Van Wilder and his eventual domination of the box office with Deadpool, Reynolds’ career has been one of steady growth and constant reinvention.
Today, Ryan Reynolds is more than just a leading man—he’s a brand, a cultural figure whose wit and charisma have made him one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. But behind all the success is the story of a kid from Canada who started out on TV and worked his way to the top. It’s a story of resilience, humor, and the kind of hard work that turns guest roles into global fame.
