Ryan Reynolds Celebrated Canada Day By Reminding Americans They Can't Move Here If They're Mad

"I know we're friendly but Canada's not your safe house."

Ryan Reynolds in a gym.

Ryan Reynolds in a gym.

Senior Writer

Ryan Reynolds recently shared a message for the U.S. and it might not be what they want to hear.

On Sunday, July 2, the Canadian posted a throwback clip from when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2021.

"You have to stop, Americans who 'want to move to Canada,'" said the caption of the shared post between the show and Reynolds.

The Deadpool actor explained that our neighbours to the south have to resist saying they're going to move here whenever they're mad at something happening in the U.S. That might be of interest to some Americans ahead of Independence Day 2023, given the country's recent Supreme Court ruling that race can no longer be considered a factor for universities when considering admission.

"As a Canadian, I'm sorry, but no, you can't," Reynolds said in the original video. "I know we're friendly but Canada's not your safe house. I mean, we barely let Canadians into Canada anymore."

"So, please, pick somewhere else," he continued, adding that Finland is "really lovely."

In the comment section, many people responded by saying "happy Canada Day" while others shared hilarious takes on the whole situation as well as some good old Canadian pride.

"As a US citizen... yeah, I wouldn't let us in either," said one Instagram commenter.

"As a Finn, we pass the task on to our neighbours in the west, Sweden," said another.

"Iconic," wrote Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov.

"Canadians do have the funny gene ingrained in them," said another user. "Ryan is effortlessly funny. Look at the distinguished names that come to mind - Lorne Michaels John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, Dan Aykroyd, Catherine O’Hara - list is endless. They really have enriched the U.S. arts scene. Happy Canada Day!"

Happy Canada Day, indeed!

Reynolds is of course a proud Vancouverite and has shared many tidbits about his life before making it big in Hollywood, like the fact that he used to bag Sarah McLachlan's groceries when he worked at Safeway as a teen and that his favourite restaurant in the entire world is Minervas in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood of B.C.

As well, Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively, honoured a part of his past by commissioning a painting that shows Reynolds delivering newspapers, which is a job he had as a kid for the Vancouver Sun.

"The house in the painting is my childhood home," he said. "My brothers and I spent years trying to kill each other on that lawn. There are a lot of Easter eggs in the painting, including my idol, John Candy on the front page of the newspaper."

"The house no longer stands but it’s a living, breathing thing in my head. This piece of art is the greatest present my wife has ever given me."

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Senior Writer

    Sarah Rohoman (she/her) was a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. She has worked at BuzzFeed Canada, Yahoo Canada, and CBC Radio in news, lifestyle, ecommerce, and social media. She has an MA in Journalism from Western University and a BA from McGill. She loves libraries, alpacas, and all things witchy.

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