Ryan Reynolds: ‘I’ve had anxiety my whole life’

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Ryan Reynolds
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds arrives for the opening night of Broadway musical โ€œThe Music Manโ€ at Winter Garden Theater in New York City on February 10, 2022. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ryan Reynolds is living with anxiety.

The โ€˜Deadpoolโ€™ star has suffered with the crippling condition his โ€œwhole lifeโ€ and there have been times during his career where he felt as though he was โ€œgonna dieโ€ before doing an interview or stepping out on TV.

In an interview on CBS show โ€˜Sunday Morningโ€™, he said: โ€œIโ€™ve had anxiety my whole life really. And you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality, that one takes over when that happens.

โ€œWhen I would go out on, like, Letterman back in the day, I was nervous. But I remember Iโ€™d be standing backstage before the curtain would open, and I would think to myself, โ€˜Iโ€™m gonna die. Iโ€™m literally gonna die here. The curtainโ€™s gonna open and Iโ€™m just gonna be, Iโ€™m just gonna be a symphony of vomit,โ€™ just, like, something horrible is gonna happen!โ€

Revealing how his anxiety attack eventually dissipates, he added: โ€œAs soon as that curtain opens โ€“ and this happens in my work a lot too โ€“ itโ€™s like this little guy takes over. And heโ€™s like, โ€˜I got this. Youโ€™re cool.โ€™ I feel, like, my heart rate drop, and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out and Iโ€™m this different person. And I leave that interview going, โ€˜God, Iโ€™d love to be that guy!โ€™โ€

The 45-year-old actor โ€“ who is married to actress Blake Lively, with whom he has three daughters โ€“ believes his problems with anxiety stem from his upbringing with his father, James Reynolds, who was a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman.

The โ€˜Free Guyโ€™ star shared: โ€œMy dad was a tough guy. He was good in many ways as well, but he was tough on us. This is not meant to be some sob story โ€“ everyone carries their own bag of rocks around and I am no different in that regard โ€“ but growing up in my house, it was never relaxing or easy and I know that, throughout my life, Iโ€™ve dealt with anxiety in different ways.

โ€œI wouldnโ€™t wish it on anyone, but anxiety is also a great fuel. I mean, my God, itโ€™s the anti-complacency pill, but itโ€™s also something that you need to manage.โ€



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