Ryan Reynolds Says He and Blake Lively Grew Up "Very Working Class"

As a passionate observer of Hollywood, I must say that Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively seem to be living their parenthood journey with immense joy and grace. Their heartfelt expressions about their daughter James paint a picture of two individuals deeply in love with their child and each other.

Ryan Reynolds is getting dead serious about his and Blake Lively’s parenting styles.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: When it comes to raising my brood – James, 9, Inez, 7, Betty, 5, and our little Olin, who joined us in 2023 – my partner and I draw from our own childhood experiences as a guide. We believe that understanding our past can help us shape a nurturing environment for our children, just like the star of Deadpool and his wife, both renowned figures in their fields, do.

Ryan shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on December 13 that he aims to provide a typical, ordinary life for them, avoiding any unnecessary comparisons between their upbringing and his own or his spouse’s.

He remarked, “We come from similar working-class backgrounds. When they were young, I often found myself thinking, ‘If only I had this talent as a child,’ or ‘Takeout was never an option for us growing up.’

Although Blake, aged 37, had a generally ordinary upbringing, she was immersed in the world of entertainment due to her father Ernie Lively’s career as an actor and director, and her mother Elaine Lively being a talent agent. In fact, Blake’s first acting role was given to her by her father. However, Ryan clarified that it’s not their duty to measure their childhood experiences against his or Blake’s unique upbringing in the entertainment industry.

He went on to say, “I understood that it’s not their responsibility to bear others’ burdens, as they are already deeply appreciative and perceptive of the world, showing a strong capacity for empathy. If our children can understand and feel for others, that’s a sign we’re doing well.

Ryan, whose mom Tammy Reynolds was a retail saleswoman and dad Jim Reynolds, who passed away, was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Vancouver, nevertheless often highlighted the distinctness between his life and that of his children.

Indeed, things have changed,” he explained. “Back then, as a child, we’d simply endure and leave home with the expectation of returning before sunset – a concept that seems almost unimaginable to me today.

However, unlike his father, the 48-year-old has deliberately chosen a unique path for his parenting, as he had a somewhat complex relationship with his own dad.

Despite sometimes feeling an impulse to react harshly or believe my child is criticizing me severely, as I shared with People in August, my father’s natural response would have been to cut off his child. However, my dad would retreat into the strength of silence rather than acknowledging his child, which is not a healthy approach.

Instead, Ryan ensures to “meet them at their eye-to-eye level” and assures them “I trust them and I am here to support them.

“I’m willing to sit here and hear them out,” he shared, “and feel whatever they’re going through.”

Read on to see more of what Ryan and Blake have said about parenting their kids.

In 2018, Reynolds humorously shared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he’s watched Frozen with his daughters numerous times, and a little-known fact is that if you play Frozen backwards, it surprisingly mirrors scene for scene the horror classic, The Exorcist.

On December 15, 2016, Reynolds and Lively publicly introduced their daughters James and Inez for the first time, at the actor’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony, a popular venue for private celebrities to present their children to the world. During his speech, Reynolds expressed his feelings towards his wife, saying “You improve everything – absolutely everything in my life. You’ve given us two remarkable children that I could only dream of having. You’ve transformed me into the father I always wanted to be when I thought I was just destined to be a fun-loving uncle.

In August 2016, just prior to the arrival of their second child, Reynolds shared with TopMob News, “Having a baby is the most humbling and wonderful experience one can have on Earth.

In simpler terms, the mother expressed to NW Magazine in 2016 that despite the challenging moments of being covered in baby mess, she finds having a child absolutely wonderful. Even on difficult days when she feels drained, she reminds herself of her good fortune.

In 2015, during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Reynolds expressed his deep affection for his family. He praised his wife and daughter, but was quick to emphasize who held the top spot in his heart. “I’d take a bullet for you,” he said, words that he would say to his wife. And as soon as I looked into my newborn child’s eyes, I knew that if we were ever in danger, I’d use my wife as a shield to safeguard that baby.

Following his characteristic dark wit, Reynolds humorously expressed a parenting joke to his Twitter audience back in 2016: “Being a father is the most incredible sensation on the planet. Of course, excluding those fantastic years I spent childless.

In an interview on NBC’s Today show in 2016, Reynolds remarked, “I’m often the one taking care of the tough tasks,” he said. “I enjoy handling the challenging jobs. She does too, but I’m the one who doesn’t mind waking up in the middle of the night, and I’m comfortable with all that grunt work.

Fatherhood, he said, has been “amazing.”

On one of those exceptional mornings in 2016, Reynolds mentioned that his daughter refused to let him leave, as a rarity. The reason being that his wife was still asleep. It felt as if he didn’t wish to depart, but it was more like an agonizing longing for him.

In a rather amusing turn of events, back in 2016, I found myself in an unexpected situation while watching the Super Bowl. My daughter, who’s got quite the keen eye, spotted me on screen. Now, it wasn’t just one me she saw, but a dozen or so! To her, this was like seeing 24 identical distractions, if you will. Her response? A casual shrug and a nonchalant “Eh, whatever.” Needless to say, I was left feeling a bit deflated, much like the footballs themselves after that game.

2016 saw Ryan humorously express to his Twitter audience that it was quite challenging to leave his baby daughter on her first solo adventure, and he was a complete wreck when taking her to Burning Man.

In 2015, the proud father enthusiastically commented about his child, saying, “She’s fantastic! She’s fantastic!” He went on to share whether their then-youngster, James, had begun talking. At that time, they were getting various sounds, but nothing that resembled clear English yet. Jokingly, he teased the mother a lot.

In a post on Instagram back in 2015, @vancityreynolds, ever since our child was born, I’ve had this profound feeling deep within my heart that you were probably the father. “#IAdoreYouSoMuchItFeelsSilly

2016 saw Blake Lively express that raising a child is like constantly navigating the unpredictable. You never know when you’ll encounter a mess or a smile that instantly turns into tears. It can sometimes feel like living with an unpredictable individual, much like a drug addict. Yet, despite this, when you have a baby, it’s hard to imagine life without one. They grow up so fast that at 80, I’d still be caring for a baby if I could.

In 2015, I shared my thoughts on this: “It’s simply the best,” I said. What unites us all, regardless of our diverse professions, is the bond that ties us – family. We may have unique careers, but we all play significant roles within someone’s family circle. It’s a beautiful connection, indeed.

2015 saw me penning a heartfelt tweet: “On Father’s Day, my little gem flashed her smile at me, a priceless present that filled my heart as I prepared a bag for a six-year journey, immersed in crafting a book about parenthood.

He shared with TopMob News during the promotion of the movie “Woman in Gold” in 2015, “There were instances when I woke up, completely unaware that I had been walking for five minutes.

Yet, it seems you have a deep affection for this. It’s as if in the stillness of the night, you find yourself stirring with an extraordinary grin plastered on your face. I mentioned this to someone else. Normally, anything that disturbed your sleep every 45 minutes would be met with your wrath. However, when it comes to a baby, it’s one of the most wonderful things that has ever entered your life.

A frequently occurring scenario often involves sharing a kiss, enjoying a round or two of drinks, and subsequently welcoming a new addition to the family. However, in this instance, I was completely sober. In 2016, Reynolds humorously commented on this.

Oh, it never ceases to amaze me! The ordinary can often be so profound, and this truth is never more evident than in parenthood. I find myself chuckling when celebrities discuss their children, as if they’re the first souls to have been born. It’s a universal experience, after all, for every star and every person on the street.

In 2015, Reynolds expressed his feelings about James, who was then an only child, in this way: “Many have done this before, so it’s important to keep a bit of humility. But let me tell you, I adore him immensely. It’s almost absurd. He has me entwined around his little finger like a puppet. When he says ‘Dada’, I would walk through a brick wall to reach him.

2024-12-18 00:48

Ryan Reynolds Says He and Blake Lively Grew Up “Very Working Class”

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