Ryan Reynolds Gushes Over Blake Lively and Daughters: 'You Give Me More Strength Than Any Man Deserves'

The actor thanked his family while accepting the Icon Award at the People's Choice Awards.

Ryan Reynolds is the people’s family man. During the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, the 46-year-old actor was presented with the Icon Award. In true fashion, he brought the comedy and all the feels as he gushed about his wife, Blake Lively, and their three daughters. 

"I feel like I’m at my funeral except I get to leave," the Deadpool star began his speech. "I guess I finally tested positive for icon. I’ve been avoiding it for years, but here we are."

The actor went on to thank the icons who helped him along the way, leading him up to this point. Some of them include his family. 

Reynolds thanked his mother, his three brothers -- one of whom attended the ceremony with him -- and his late father.  

"And to my dad, he left us a few years ago, and boy, if he could see all the things that have been going on," he said. "He wouldn’t be impressed with this stuff, he’d be most blown away by his three granddaughters. Wherever he is right now, I promise you, he’s not watching the People’s Choice Awards," he quipped. 

He also gave a shout-out to his work family at Maximum Effort, before thanking his wife, who is currently expecting their fourth child, and their daughters, James, 7, Inez, 6, and Betty, 3.

"I got to thank my family, family, Blake and my three daughters. It’s gonna be a fourth child very soon," he added. "If it happens tonight, while I’m here, I will be looking for a couch to sleep on for a while. I venture to guess that Shania Twain has an amazing couch. To Blake and my girls, quite literally you are my heart, you are my hope, you are my happiness. I joke that my family exhaust me, but you give me more strength than any man can possibly deserve."

The Spirited star ended his speech by sharing the gift of storytelling and creating opportunities for underserved communities, shouting out The Group Effort Initiative and The Creative Ladder, which has been launched in partnership with his production company. 

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for American Cinematheque

Blake, who tied the knot with Reynolds in 2012, had the chance to honor her man in November. During the pair’s glam date night at the 36th Annual American Cinematheque Awards, Lively took the stage to honor Reynolds, who was the first Canadian recipient of the honor. 

"This man has contributed so much to the world’s gross and national happiness with his art, his heart, his philanthropy, his humor, his integrity, his unmatched work ethic, his self-deprecating levity, his hard-earned depths,” she said at the time. 

Ahead of Tuesday's ceremony, Reynolds gushed to ET about becoming a father of four and how he and his wife are prepping. 

"We're very excited," Reynolds told ET's Cassie DiLaura. "You'd have to be a moron to do this four times if you didn't like it. Yeah, it's gonna be nuts! But we're very excited." 

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