Ten Things You Never Knew About Ryan Reynoldsr

From: digitalspy.co.uk
Written by: Alex Fletcher

Ryan Reynolds must be one of the luckiest blokes alive. He famously split up with one of the most successful musicians of the '90s (Alanis Morrisette), only to fall into the arms of one of the world's most beautiful women (Scarlett Johansson). He's has starring roles in crude teen farces (Van Wilder), Hollywood blockbusters (Wolverine) and sloppy rom-coms Definitely, Maybe, while this month he stars alongside Julia Roberts in the engaging drama Fireflies In The Garden. Keep on reading to discover ten fascinating facts about the Canadian hottie.

1. Ryan was born in October 1976 to Vancouver food wholesaler Jim and retail worker Tammy.

2. Reynolds may seem like a natural on the big screen, but at the age of 12 he actually failed in drama at Kitsilano Secondary School.

3. Reynolds may have looked like a hard man in recent action-adventure Wolverine, but he's not as tough as he looks. The Canadian has a genuine fear of flying. "When I was 19, I decided to get my sky diving licence. I did 12 jumps, then on my 13th my chute didn't open," he says. "My life was flashing before my eyes, but I managed to pull my reserve, which opened and I landed okay... it's given me a lifelong fear of flying."

4. It is strongly rumoured that when Reynolds was hunting for his big break in the '90s that he was offered the role of Alexander "Xander" LaVelle Harris in Buffy. Luckily for Nicholas Brendon, he apparently turned the TV show down.

5. Reynolds made his TV debut in Nickelodeon's teen drama Hillside at the age of 12. However, the young actor doesn't have fond memories of his time on the show. He has since described the programme as a "really horrible soap" and believes the show was only kept on air for three years because of "stoned college kids".

6. Has dating the stunning starlet Scarlett Johansson made Reynolds realise what an attractive young man he is? Apparently not! "Acting has given me a way to channel my angst," he says. "I feel like an overweight, pimply faced kid a lot of the time."

7. Reynolds hasn't always lived a glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. When he was trying to get his big break, he toured LA auditions in a stripped-out jeep. He turned up to meet producers in the vehicle, despite it not even having any doors.

8. Ryan may be a Hollywood darling now, but his early frat-boy roles were greeted by sneering reviews from critics. Early episodes of his ABC sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place were lambasted by TV reviewers, while his turn in National Lampoon: Van Wilder was described as "tacky", "unfunny" and "crude".

9. Reynolds famously gained 25lbs in muscle for his role as King in 2004's Blade: Trinity. His new physique was so extreme that producers couldn't find him a suitable body double and forced him to do all his own stunts in the film

10. Before he was famous, Reynolds worked various odd jobs to keep himself afloat financially. He worked as a busboy on yachts, served at nightclubs and even did a stint at a grocery store. It was only when he formed the Vancouver comedy improv group Yellow Snow that he discovered a direction for his career.