The Six Best Ryan Reynolds Quotes on Being a Father

There are plenty of adorable celebrity fathers out there who do heartwarming things — like dedicating loving social media posts to their children or making jokes about them on talk shows — but there's only one who does it better than the rest: Ryan Reynolds. The actor has four kids with wife Blake Lively, who has been with him for over 10 years, and we have rounded up the six best quotes by Ryan Reynolds on fatherhood.

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1. Ryan Reynolds on becoming a father

Ryan Reynolds and one of his children (2023)
Ryan Reynolds and one of his children (2023)
Matthew Ashton - AMA / Contributor/Getty

In 2016, Reynolds told E! News that "There's nothing on earth more grounding than having a baby. It's the best thing that could ever happen to someone."

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2. Ryan Reynolds quotes on being a girl dad

ryan reynolds quotes on fatherhood: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold in 2022
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold in 2022
Mike Coppola / Staff/Getty

In 2015, Reynolds appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and had nothing but wonderful things to say about his first daughter, James. "'I would take a bullet for you. I could never love anything as much as I love you.' I would say that to my wife. And the second I looked in that baby's eyes, I knew in that exact moment that if we were ever under attack, I would use my wife as a human shield to protect that baby."

3. On how he plans to help his kids deal with anxiety

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds with their children in 2016
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold in 2022
Tommaso Boddi / Contributor/Getty

In a recent interview with costar (and best friend) Hugh Jackman, Reynolds opened up about his own anxiety and how he lets it dictate his parenting.

"Now I love that I have anxiety; I love that I've had anxiety," notes one of Ryan Reynolds quotes on fatherhood. "Because when I see my kids experiencing some of that, which is probably genetic, I know how to address it in a way that is compassionate, that actually allows them to feel seen. I know that I can't just fix it. And I can communicate all that stuff to them and with them. I'm always grateful for it."

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4. Ryan Reynolds quotes on allowing his kids to be Canadian-American

Blake Lively expecting their second child in 2019
ANGELA WEISS / Contributor/Getty

Reynolds himself is Canadian and is proud of that. He also wants his kids to be proud of that, and even went as far as to get them a Canadian passport.

"They love being from Canada. They tell people, 'Oh, I'm half Canadian, half American," Reynolds said in 2024. "My kids, they have Canadian passports as well, and they feel a real connection to that. It's a point of pride for them. They've also spent huge amounts of their formative years in Canada and particularly Vancouver."

5. On his daughter's favorite film

ryan reynolds quotes on fatherhood: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively with their, children in 2016
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively with their, children in 2016
Michael Tran / Contributor/Getty

Another person Reynolds is close with? Michael J.Fox. And just recently,he watched Back to the Future with his daughter.

"Last year, I watched [it] with my 8-year-old daughter. It's become her favorite film," Reynolds wrote in 2023. "And for now, that's enough for me — and for her. One more kid from one more generation sees what I saw."

As part of Ryan Reynolds quotes on fatherhood, he also added: "I know how lucky I am to call Mike a friend. She [Reynolds' daughter] still has no idea I know him. I don't need to teach my daughter the level of compassion Mike has mastered. Or teach her to tell stories the way Mike tells stories. I need to teach her that it's OK to fall a lot. It's the absolute best way to know you're flying."

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6. Ryan Reynolds quotes on being close to Taylor Swift

The happy couple and Taylor Swift in 2023
Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Taylor Swift in 2023
Ryan Reynolds/Instagram

It's no secret that Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively, are close with international sensation Taylor Swift. In fact, Swift even references three of their kids (James, Inez and Betty) in her song Betty. And his kids love it!

"I think what's most exciting for them is that for the longest time, they thought Taylor's just an aunt, like a friend of mommy and daddy. That' almost family. In fact, I'm not making this up, we are having a Taylor Swift Midnights dance party right after this. It's Sunday. We're headed straight to the porch where we're doing a full dance number set to Midnights…swear words included."

He also said that he is waiting for Taylor Swift to help decide the name of baby number four, who was born in February 2023. "We always wait for Taylor to tell us what the child's name is, and I'll say this: We're still waiting."

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