The Paternal Ancestry of Actor Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds was born October 23, 1976, in Vancouver, British Columbia to his parents, James Chester Reynolds and Tamara Lee Stewart. His career began in 1991 on the Canadian teen drama Hillside, which would later lead to guest appearances on the shows the X-Files and The Outer Limits. Reynolds would later transition to film starring in movies such as Van Wilder, The Amityville Horror, and along-side actress Sandra Bullock in the 2009 comedy, The Proposal. In 2016, Reynolds starred in the critically and commercially acclaimed film, Deadpool as the title character. Ryan Reynolds married actress Blake Lively in September of 2012. They have two children together, James, born in 2014, and Inez, born in 2016.

Ryan Reynolds' Father: James Chester Reynolds

James Chester Reynolds was born on August 3, 1941 to Chester Ambrose Reynolds and Helen Mary Long. During his life, he would marry Tamara Lee Stewart and they would have four sons together including, Terry, Jeff, Patrick, and Ryan. James worked as a food wholesaler and Tamara worked as a retail salesperson so they could support their family together. During the last 20 years of his life, James battled Parkinson's Disease, a disease which would eventually claim his life. James would lose his battle with Parkinson's on October 25, 2015 at the age of 74. He was laid to rest in Vancouver, British Columbia where he was raised.

Ryan Reynolds' Grandfather: Chester Ambrose Reynolds

Chester Ambrose Reynolds was born on September 24, 1902 in Chicago, Illinois to William Francis Reynolds and Elizabeth F. Crowe. Chester also had three brothers named, George (1901-), Gordon (1905-), and Verne (1909-). When Chester was just one-year-old, his family would immigrate from Chicago to the Alberta territory of Canada. Where his parents would raise him and his brothers. In 1938, Chester married Helen Mary Long (1908-2003) in Edmonton, Canada and they would have one child together.

Two years after his marriage to Helen, Chester would come to serve as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and would serve in this position for four years, from 1940 until 1944. During this time, he was a member of the Social Credit Party of Alberta.

Chester Reynolds would pass away on May 1, 1983 at the age of 80 where he was survived by his wife Helen, their son James, and his grandchildren.

The 1921 Canadian Census:

According to the 1921 Canadian Census, the Reynolds family is listed as having an Irish "racial or tribal origin" and that they were able to speak English, but not French. This census also reveals that Chester's father, William was born in Ontario, Canada, unlike the rest of his family, who were born in the United States. It is also made known in this Census that both of Chester's grandparents were born in Ireland, revealing that Ryan Reynolds has a connection to Ireland just a few generations back.

The Tragic Death of George Edward Reynolds:

George Edward Reynolds was born in County Cavan, Ireland on August 23, 1827 to Thomas Reynolds and Mary Ann Buntiel. Unfortunately, George's life would be tragically cut short on May 19, 1892 when, according to the Daily Examiner article from May 20, George's body was found in Dickson's Race by an apparent drowning. In the article, George is described as working as a mason in town and resided with his family on Cedar Street in Peterborough.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately for us, this is where the paper trail of definite facts turns cold. The surname of Reynolds was common back then among the English and Irish and it is near impossible for me to decipher which Thomas Reynolds is the correct one.

The Reynolds family has deep roots in Canada which has included politicians and actors, as well as, common folk, such as George Reynolds and Ryan's father James. May their stories continued to be shared for generations to come and may they never be forgotten.