Ryan Reynolds Says Drunk Driver Broke Every Bone on His Left Side at 18

Q: How did a near-fatal accident shape Ryan Reynolds's high-risk stunt career?

Ryan Reynolds’s near-fatal accident appears to have shaped his stunt career in two opposing ways: it left him with lasting physical damage, but it did not deter his commitment to doing demanding action work himself. Reynolds said he was 18 when, after deciding not to drive home because he had consumed alcohol, he was hit by a drunk driver while crossing a street in Vancouver. He spent four weeks in the hospital, woke up three days after the crash, and said every bone on his left side was broken. He has described himself as a “rickety, broken mess” ever since, indicating the injuries were not a one-time trauma but a long-term physical burden. Even so, Reynolds has continued to insist on performing many of his own stunts. In past interviews, he has said he values “physicality in movies” and believes actors should do as much of the action themselves as possible. That suggests the crash did not make him retreat from risk; if anything, it coexists with a career-long willingness to absorb physical punishment on screen. At the same time, the accident seems to have made him more aware of his limits. He has acknowledged that age has made him more cautious and that some stunts are now left to professionals. His remark that being thrown onto cement stopped being “hilarious” after 35 shows a more measured approach. In effect, the crash helped define a stunt career marked by resilience, physical commitment, and increasing caution rather than fear.

3 articles · Updated · KOMO News · Jun 11

Four weeks in the hospital followed after Reynolds said a drunk driver hit him while he was crossing the street at 18, breaking every bone on the left side of his body.
One beer had led him to leave his car parked and walk home instead, but he said the impact was so severe that the other driver's car was left inoperable.
GQ's video with Rob Mac prompted the account as Reynolds reflected on plans going wrong and thanked Dr. Meek and Vancouver General Hospital for his recovery.