Ryan Reynolds Speaks About His ‘Not So Great’ Mental Health, 'It Spins Out of Control’ Sometimes

When it comes to his mental health, Ryan Reynolds acknowledges that he's still working on it.

The actor received recognition on October 9 night in New York City at the 11th Annual Revels & Revelations Gala by Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit organization co-founded by actress Glenn Close that focuses on mental health. At the event, Reynolds, 46, opened up exclusively to Page Six about his mental health, saying he occasionally feels like it is "out of control."

When asked about his mental health, he responded, “Not always great, to be honest.”

“I certainly have my little rituals and those kinds of things that help me stay grounded and keep my mind from spinning out of control,” he added. “Sometimes I’m good at it, sometimes I’m not.”

Reynolds explained to the outlet that he tries to “take time” for himself to refocus by practicing meditation when he notices those “out of control” times. “I tend to overbook myself when I’m spiraling that way,” the Green Lantern star explained. “I’m sort of aware of that stuff and I manage it as well as you can.”

At the October 9 ceremony, Reynolds was present to receive the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award from Zak and Zelda Williams, the late comic's children. Reynolds expressed his gratitude to Close during his remarks, mentioning that the two had collaborated on the 1995 television film Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story. “I learned more watching Glenn for two months than I did through a decade of d–king around in school,” he quipped.

Reynolds has previously admitted in interviews that he has struggled with severe anxiety his entire life. “I’ve had anxiety my whole life really. And you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality, that one takes over when that happens,” Reynolds opened up in a CBS Sunday Mornings interview back in 2022.

The affable actor acknowledged that his public image does not reflect who he really is. “When I would go out on, like, [David] Letterman [show] back in the day, I was nervous. But I remember I’d be standing backstage before the curtain would open, and I would think to myself, ‘I’m gonna die. I’m literally gonna die here. The curtain’s gonna open and I’m just gonna be, I’m just gonna be a symphony of vomit,’ just, like, something horrible’s gonna happen!” he recalled.

“But as soon as that curtain opens — and this happens in my work a lot too — it’s like this little guy takes over. And he’s like, ‘I got this. You’re cool.’ I feel my heart rate drop, and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out and I’m this different person. And I leave that interview going, ‘God, I’d love to be that guy!’”