Happy Birthday! Ryan Reynolds Turns 40 Years Old Today

Happy birthday to you, Ryan Reynolds! The actor turns 40 years old today.

Born in October 1976, Reynolds was raised in Vancouver, Canada by his parents James and Tammy. The youngest of four brothers, the actor began his career in 1991 when he was cast as Billy Simpson on Hillside, a teen soap.

Over the next few years, Reynolds would spend time on various shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Odyssey. He would then move on to notable film roles in a slew of early 2000s films like Waiting… and The Proposal. It was also during this time that Reynolds appeared in his first live-action comic book adaptation courtesy of Blade: Trinity. The actor played Hannibal King in the 2004 film.

However, Reynolds would go on to star in several other comic book films. In 2009, the actor was cast as Wade Wilson/Weapon XI in X-Men Origins: Wolverine before DC Entertainment hired him to play Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. However, the CGI-ridden film failed to impress fans or critics, leaving moviegoers disappointed with the highly anticipated film.

Following Green Lantern, many wondered whether Reynold was through with superhero flicks. But, thankfully, the actor was stubbornly attached to his role as Wade Wilson. The actor became heavily involved with developing a Deadpool film that honored the mercenary's violent, lewd tastes. The film was released this summer and broke all sorts of box office records, making it one of 20th Century Fox's most lucrative titles in years. The studio has since approved a sequel that Reynolds will star in.

Happy birthday, Ryan!