Ryan Reynolds got a little emotional while speaking about his family during his People’s Icon Award acceptance speech at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards.
The 46-year-old actor shares seven-year-old James, six-year-old Inez and three-year-old Betty with his wife of a decade, actress Blake Lively.
The Deadpool star was introduced by his Free Guy co-star Lil Rel Howrey before taking the stage at Barker Hangar for a heartfelt speech.
Emotional: Ryan Reynolds got a little emotional while speaking about his family during his People’s Icon Award acceptance speech at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards
Family: The 46-year-old actor shares seven-year-old James, six-year-old Inez and three-year-old Betty with his wife of decades, actress Blake Lively
He thanked his three families during his speech — his original family, including his parents and siblings, his working family at his production company Maximum Effort, and his “family” family, Mrs Blake Lively and their three children, with one more on the way.
“Thank you Blake and my three daughters. There will soon be a fourth child. Blake and my girls, you are literally my heart, my hope and my happiness. I joke that my family wears me out, but you give me more strength than a man can possibly deserve,” Reynolds said while starting to choke a little.
Reynolds began his speech by joking: “I feel like I’m at my funeral, but I’m allowed to go. I guess I finally tested positive for Icon. I’ve avoided it for years, but here we are.’
Three families: He thanked his three families during his speech — his original family, including his parents and siblings, his working family at his production company Maximum Effort, and his “family family,” wife Blake Lively and their three children, with another along the way
“One thing, when you get a trophy like this, you don’t get one like this without a lot of help from a lot of real icons and people who don’t always put the iconic energy of their icons in front of the camera. Over the course of this long career, there are literally too many people to mention, but I couldn’t fail to mention that it starts with my family and ends with my family,” he said to applause from the crowd.
“My mother, my three brothers, one of whom is sitting over there, and my father, who left us a few years ago. If you could see all the things that went on he would be impressed, but you would be blown away by his three little granddaughters,” Reynolds said to applause.
“Wherever he is, I promise you, he’s probably not watching the People’s Choice Awards. He’s cultivated most of his opinions through old episodes of Baywatch, so I’m guessing he probably does,” Reynolds joked.
Promise: “Wherever he is, I promise you, he’s probably not watching the People’s Choice Awards. He’s cultivated most of his opinions through old episodes of Baywatch, so I’m guessing he probably does,” Reynolds joked
“To my family of origin, thank you for making me who I am and for supporting me relentlessly despite a questionable few years there,” he added, before joining his “working family” at Maximum Effort thanked, which he described as ‘super important to me.’
“Thank you for bringing me to this moment in my life. My career has taken incredible and wonderful turns because I work with some of the most talented people in the world every day. People with skills and perspectives very different from mine. I’m so grateful for how Maximum Effort this company has not only transformed me, but also allows space to transform others,” he said.
He concluded his speech by saying, “I want to share the experience of working and storytelling because I see firsthand how stories with wide-ranging and diverse backgrounds and points of view are enhanced.”
Original family: “To my original family, thank you for making me who I am and your tireless support of me, despite a questionable few years there,” he added, before joining his “work family” at Maximum Effort, which he said, ‘super important to me’
“Maximum Effort and I have been fortunate to create two organizations with great access and opportunity for communities that have been discriminated against, overlooked or marginalized,” he added to applause.
“These two organizations could use the help to strengthen their cause. The people in this room listening, one of them is Group Effort Initiative and the other is Creative Ladder,” he added.
“If you could support them, great. If you’re looking to break into these industries, join us whether one of these outlandish icon awards awaits or not. Working in these areas is a daily challenge and joy and they bring people together who I know have brought together the best people. These organizations in the world can certainly use a lot more togetherness right now, so thank you for this award ‘ concluded Reynolds.
Organizations: “These two organizations could use the help to strengthen their cause. The people in this room listening, one of them is Group Effort Initiative and the other is Creative Ladder,” he added