Plot Twist! Catch-up With Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks and the ‘Definitely, Maybe’ Cast 16 Years Later

Every kid wants to know how their parents met, but most of the stories aren’t as complicated as Maya Hayes’ in the 2008 film Definitely, Maybe. Told in a dual timeline, the plot follows father Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) as he tells his daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), how he met her mom, and let us tell you, the ending is something no one will see coming. 

To learn more about the Definitely, Maybe cast, keep scrolling — we promise we won't reveal who Maya’s mother is. 

Ryan Reynolds 

CHARACTER PLAYED: Will Hayes

BEST KNOWN FOR: Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (1998 to 2001), Just Friends (2005), The Proposal (2009), Green Lantern (2011), The Croods (2013), Deadpool I & II (2016/2018), Free Guy (2021), The Adam Project (2022), IF (2023) and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). 

PERSONAL: Reynolds has been married to Blake Lively since 2012, and they have four children together. Previously he was married to Scarlett Johansson.

THOUGHTS ON DEFINITELY, MAYBE: “I’d call it a modern romantic comedy. The best ones make you laugh and cry. I also have to point out how cool it was, since it takes place in the nineties, that the wide shot of New York City included The Twin Towers.” 

FUN FACT: To prepare for his role in the film, Reynolds read many books on President Bill Clinton and the presidents who inspired him. 

Elizabeth Banks: 'Definitely, Maybe' cast 

CHARACTER PLAYED: Emily Jones

BEST KNOWN FOR: Spider-Man I - III (2002,2004 & 2007), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The 40-Year-Old-Virgin (2005), Scrubs (2006 to 2009), 30 Rock (2010 to 2012), The Hunger Games I - VI (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015) What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012), Pitch Perfect I - III (2012, 2015 and 2017) and Skincare (2024). 

PERSONAL: Banks has been married to Max Handelman since 2003 and they have two children together. 

FUN FACT: Banks is the only American actress in the film. 

Rachel Weisz

CHARACTER PLAYED: Summer Harley 

BEST KNOWN FOR: The Mummy (1999), The Lovely Bones (2009), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), My Cousin Rachel (2017), The Favourite (2018) and Black Widow (2021). 

PERSONAL: Weisz has been married to Daniel Craig since 2011 and they have one child together. 

THOUGHTS ON DEFINITELY, MAYBE: “I think the energy and spirit of Summer is what attracted me to the role. She's a lot of fun. She's curious and wants to experiment with life. She’s very bold. I'm English and a bit more polite. She's direct, very direct. We are very different. I'm an English-born actress, and she's an uptown Manhattan journalist, so we are very different.” 

FUN FACT: Weisz was originally cast as Emily, which eventually went to Elizabeth Banks. 

Isla Fisher: 'Definitely, Maybe' cast 

CHARACTER PLAYED: April Hoffman 

BEST KNOWN FOR: Scooby-Doo (2002), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Great Gatsby (2013), Now You See Me (2013), Arrested Development (2013 to 2019), Wolf Like Me (2022 to 2023) and The Present (2024). 

PERSONAL: Fisher has three children with her husband, from whom she has filed for divorce. 

THOUGHTS ON DEFINITELY, MAYBE: “I think what's great in this movie is that the three female characters portray what it means to be a modern woman — the difficulties of balancing a personal and professional life, or what it feels like to settle down young, like Emily. I think all these women are following their true calling.” 

FUN FACT: Fisher and Reynolds were both born in 1976. 

Abigail Breslin 

CHARACTER PLAYED: Maya Hayes

BEST KNOWN FOR: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), My Sister’s Keeper (2009), Zombieland (2009), The Call (2013), Scream Queens (2015 to 2016) and Mirands’s Victim (2023). 

PERSONAL: Breslin married Ira Kunyansky in 2023. 

THOUGHTS ON DEFINITELY, MAYBE: “I really like the character Maya because she is kind of curious and really honest. She likes hearing her dad tell the story, and she wants him to get back together with her mom. Plus, they shot in New York, and I live in New York, so I really liked that they filmed me in my city. It looks really pretty and cool. The Central Park Zoo is really nice. I don’t go that much because it’s not too close to where I live.” 

FUN FACT: Breslin was 12 years old during filming. 

For more 2000’s rom-coms keep reading!

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