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Before Deadpool, The Proposal, and before Reynolds became Ryan Reynolds, there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Back in the ’90s, the Canadian actor was still fresh out of high school, steering through early gigs like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Hillside. And then came the chance to join Buffy as Xander Harris, the goofy, loyal best friend to Buffy Summers. It could’ve changed everything, but Reynolds said no.
In a 2008 interview with The Toronto Star, Ryan Reynolds revealed, “I love that show and I loved Joss Whedon, the creator of the show, but my biggest concern was that I didn’t want to play a guy in high school. I had just come out of high school and it was f****** awful!”
To give y’all some context, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was more than just another high school drama. It redefined genre TV in the late ’90s, mixin’ in teen angst with vampires, demons, and existential dread. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy became iconic. Nicholas Brendon, who eventually landed the Xander role, also found breakout fame.
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But Reynolds couldn’t shake the trauma of his own school days. Playing a character stuck in the very place he wanted to move past felt like the wrong move. And to be fair, when you’re still haunted by locker-room memories, going back there, even on a set, isn’t exactly healing.
Still, Ryan Reynolds insists he doesn’t dwell on what-ifs. “I don’t regret anything,” he told The Toronto Star. “I don’t [even] regret having been beaten up in elementary school by the next door neighbor. All these things led me to where I am.”
Where is he now? A box office royalty. From The Amityville Horror to The Hitman’s Bodyguard and his scene-stealing run as Deadpool, Reynolds has carved out a career that mixes action, heart, and razor-sharp sarcasm. He’s also gone full mogul mode – writing, producing, launching businesses, and owning a soccer club for good measure.
Buffy went on to become a cult classic. But Ryan Reynolds didn’t need a stake-wielding debut to break out. His path was different, and just as memorable. Sometimes, walking away from a role says more than taking it especially when it comes with some very real high school baggage.
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