With his smoldering good looks, cool charisma and affable personality, you might never imagine Ryan Reynolds as someone plagued with anxiety. Yet, in a recent interview, the Deadpool 2 actor admitted that high anxiety is something that has haunted the A-list actor for many years. Hopefully, though, by speaking out about this matter, he'll let people know that anxiety can come to anyone, regardless of their success and career stature. Here's how Ryan Reynolds described his intense feelings of anxiety in a recent profile piece promoting his forthcoming summer release.
I have anxiety. I've always had anxiety. Both in the lighthearted 'I'm anxious about this' kind of thing, and I've been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun.
While Ryan Reynolds is known to be a straightforward guy, particularly in his jokey fashion, this revealing interview with The New York Times is one of the first times the actor/producer has opened up about his struggles with anxiety. With the delightful success of his passion project Deadpool in 2016, the stakes are much higher now to produce a sequel that will be just as good -- if not better -- than the hit original. As a result, Reynolds finds himself nervous about what response the new blockbuster will receive. In a career filled with many ups and more than a few downs, Reynolds is no stranger to both praise and criticism in equal measures. And while Deadpool 2 is almost certain to be another mega hit, with early estimates saying the brand new movie already broke a ticket sale record or two, Reynolds can't help but feel anxious about the upcoming release, especially as its May 18th release date looms closer ahead.
When there's built-in expectation, your brain always processes that as danger.
The making of the much-anticipated blockbuster sequel has been fraught with problems, including a director switch from the original's helmer Tim Miller to Atomic Blonde's David Leitch and an on-set accident that ultimately became fatal. Away from set, there's also been TJ Miller's ongoing controversies, which will result in Miller not being involved with X-Force, the next film featuring Deadpool. While Ryan Reynolds was heavily involved with the first movie, as both the movie's star and one of its producers, he's even more involved with the sequel, as he also co-wrote the screenplay with returning screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Reynolds' voice and influence can be heard throughout the first, and it'll likely be even even louder in the sequel. As a result, Reynolds has a bigger emotional investment in Deadpool 2's success or failure (critically or commercially), and that can be taxing on the star.
We're glad Ryan Reynolds feels comfortable enough to speak about his history with anxiety. Even for someone as refreshing honest as Ryan Reynolds, it's comforting to see him open up about this matter. As mentioned before, Deadpool 2 is just around the corner. We look forward to seeing him in the blockbuster sequel soon.
