Ryan Reynolds: Hollywood's New Proposal

3 months ago 08th Aug 08:15

For most people, having to strip off in front of your friend of nine years would be embarrassing. Having to disrobe, face said friend in all your glory and then conduct a complicated scene resulting in you both collapsing, naked, onto each other would be mortifying. Not for Ryan Reynolds, however, who insists the famous nude scene in his latest movie 'The Proposal' - in which he stars with good pal Sandra Bullock - was a delight to film.

"It's a good situation to be in, seeing her naked, believe me. Sandra's no slob, that's for sure," he joked. "I didn't think we'd shoot it to be honest, because she's never done a head-to-toe nude scene before. I just thought she would eventually say the scene needs to be rewritten. But she was all for it. A few weeks before, while we were having dinner, I asked her if she wanted to carry on with the nude scene and she said, 'Absolutely!' "

terrible, terrible soap opera

This naked scene is not like those in other films. It's not sexy or erotic, instead it sees two people who essentially hate each other accidentally bumping into one another while nude. So, that might not happen much in everyday life, but this is the movies and it's certainly funny to watch.

In 'The Proposal', Ryan plays Andrew Paxton, the much put upon assistant of slave-driving New York book editor Margaret Tate, portrayed by Sandra. When Sandra is told she is going to be deported to her native Canada, she pretends she is engaged to Andrew to avoid having to leave the country.

Andrew is eventually coaxed into playing along with the charade - after detailing a few conditions of his own - and the pair set off to visit Andrew's family in Alaska for the weekend. While there they must convince his nearest and dearest they are in love, and break the news they are to marry.

While Ryan admits the nude scene wasn't top of those he wanted to film, he insists shooting it with Sandra was easier than it would have been with someone he didn't know.

"It's nudity and stunts combined - we call them 'nunts'," he explained. "It actually helps when you're friends, because after a few hours, you're laughing about it. You're having these mundane conversations and the only difference is you're not wearing pants. She just had on the little postage stamp things and I wore a flesh-coloured pouch."

It is this refusal to see the negative in situations which has helped Ryan, 32, become one of Hollywood's best-loved actors.

He grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, the youngest of four brothers. His father James was a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman who later became a food wholesaler, and his mother Tammy worked in retail.

His first TV role came in 1990 in Nickelodeon high school show 'Fifteen', in which he played Billy Simpson. Despite Ryan later calling the series a "terrible, terrible soap opera", it gave him his first step towards an acting career and saw him receive a nomination for America's Young Artist Award in 1993.

Ryan had to relocate to Florida for the part, moving back to Vancouver when the show was dropped. After winning roles in several made-for-TV movies, Ryan became frustrated with not getting the parts he wanted and temporarily put aside his ambitions to go to college.

After a few months he realised his heart lay with acting, and at 19 decided to head to Los Angeles with a friend with the intention of joining comedy improvisation troupe The Groundlings. This wasn't to be, but when he won the part of medical student Michael in sitcom 'Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place' in 1997, Ryan's career really took off.