Ryan Reynolds Says He Feels Like A ‘Different Person’ At Times Due To His Anxiety

Ryan Reynolds got real about the inner struggle that not everyone can see.

The 45-year-old actor opened up about his lifelong battle with anxiety in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, admitting that it sometimes feels like he has “two parts of my personality.” He said:

“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.”

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While Reynolds is known for being funny and charismatic, that is not always how he feels on the inside. The Deadpool star recalled that when appearing on Late Night With David Letterman in 2015, he became consumed by fear and anxiety that he thought he was going to get sick on stage:

“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!”

However, he instantly felt better once his personality took over the second he stepped foot in from of the audience:

“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, like, 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!’”

Honestly, that is very relatable! Ch-ch-check out the entire interview (below):

This is not the first time that Reynolds has been candid about his mental health. Back in October, he told WSJ Magazine about how he will sometimes obsess over things to the point where he’ll stay awake dissecting everyone aspect of it:

“I fixate on things. That’s sort of the engine of anxiety. I lay awake at night, wrapping and unwrapping every possible scenario.”

How does he manage it? Well, the father of three shared that he uses a combination of meditation and mindfulness to calm himself down:

“I tend to pave over anxiety with work and, to a lesser extent, achievement. You want to tick boxes sometimes. So these days, my goal is to be as present as I can and not just tick a box just to do it. I’m fully embracing and living that right now. It’s been amazing.”

As always, we love to see a celeb like Ryan bring awareness to an often taboo subject.

[Image via CBS Sunday Morning/YouTube]