Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively with daughters James Reynolds and Ines Reynolds attend the ceremony honoring Ryan Reynolds with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 15, 2016 in Hollywood, California© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin,Getty

Ryan Reynolds expresses concern about raising four children with Blake Lively

The Deadpool star welcomed his fourth child in 2023

US Lifestyle Editor
December 14, 2024

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have a combined net worth of around $380 million – but they don't want their wealth to have a negative impact on their four children.

The Deadpool & Wolverine star, 48, admitted that he has been concerned about the stark contrast between his and Blake's "working class" upbringing compared to their kids living in "luxury".

The couple share three daughters James, nine, Inez, eight, and Betty, five, and son Olin, born in 2023.

While Ryan wants them to have "as normal a life as possible", he tries not to think about the differences between their childhood and his own.

"I try not to impose upon them the difference in their childhood to my childhood or my wife's childhood," he told the Hollywood Reporter.

"We both grew up very working class, and I remember when they were very young, I used to say or think, like, 'Oh God, I would never have had a gift like this when I was a kid,' or, 'I never would've had this luxury of getting takeout,' or whatever," he added.

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Ryan is aware of the stark differences between his and his children's upbringing

Despite his fears, Ryan is thankful that he and Blake are raising their children to be as humble as possible.

"Yes, it's different... I realized that that's not really their bag of rocks to carry," he continued. 

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Ryan and Blake share four children

"They’re already very much in touch with gratitude and understanding the world enough to have a strong sense of empathy. Those are the things that I would think [would indicate] we're doing an OK job – if our kids can empathize with other people and other kids."

He added: "When I was a kid, you would just suck it up, get out of the house and be back by sundown, which I just can't even imagine now."

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Ryan and Blake want their kids to have a 'normal life'

Ryan's latest parenting confession comes after he reflected on the challenges of being a dad of four and a working actor.

During a conversation with fellow actor Andrew Garfield for Variety's annual Actors on Actors series, the former asked about the future of the Deadpool franchise, and if more movies are to come.

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Ryan doesn't want to be an 'absentee dad'

"I don't know," Ryan admitted, explaining: "Honestly, my feeling is that the character works very well in two ways. One is scarcity and surprise."

He also noted that it "had been six years since the last one," and that "part of the reason is that it swallows my whole life." 

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Ryan, Blake, and their four kids were involved with Deadpool & Wolverine

Ryan went on: "I have four kids, and I don't ever want to be an absentee [dad]," confessing: "I kind of die inside when I see their faces and they do a sports thing or something and I missed it."

Though working on "Deadpool & Wolverine" took a lot out of Ryan's time, his kids got to be a part of it, as did Blake, who played Lady Deadpool.

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Blake and Ryan tied the knot in 2012

All four of their kids were credited as having roles in the movie, on the screen or otherwise. In the credits, James is credited for playing a Screaming Mutant, Inez is listed as Kidpool, Olin is Babypool, plus Betty appears to have had quite the epic on-set task: "Hugh Jackman Wrangler."

Ryan previously gushed to People about the sweet bond his second daughter has developed with Hugh, who plays Wolverine, sharing: "My four-year-old Betty sort of loves Hugh, like unconditionally."

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