Everyone has some specific dream careers while growing up. Some achieve it, while some find happiness where destiny takes them.

Things aren't too different for Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, who wanted to follow his father's footsteps, James Chester Reynolds, and join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His two brothers are police officers, too - and that made him like the profession even more.

But the youngest of four brothers, Reynolds, who grew up in Vancouver, somehow also became interested in acting and eventually took up the latter option. He succeeded and made it big time!

Ryan Reynolds on Choosing between Becoming a Police Officer and Actor

In an interview with The Times, the Deadpool actor talked about his initial dream of becoming a police officer. He explained he would have been like his father and brother, too, if the acting opportunities hadn't knocked on his doors.

"I would probably have been one too, if it wasn't for this job [acting]. Being a Mountie is actually a dirtier, rougher, and a much more difficult job than you'd think," he stated, emphasizing being a mountain police officer was a challenging profession.

Reynolds also implied that he never believed he could make a career in Hollywood until he was in his 20s because he wasn't confident - and was embarrassed about his passion as a teenager.

Reynolds, whose breakout role was in the 2002 comedy National Lampoon's Van Wilder, continued to share his journey, saying:

It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I began to fall in love with it, and see the possibilities, and embrace all the actor [expletive] that I used to get so embarrassed about. In the early days it was all just about cracking one-liners, not being vulnerable.

Ryan Reynolds Is Close to His Three Brothers

The Free Guy star often shows the love he has for his three older brothers.

For instance, Reynolds took to his social media to post a snap of his Mountie brother, Terry, back in November 2019 on Remembrance Day. He posted the picture using the hashtag #CanadaRemembers, implying he was proud of his brother's service to the nation.

Similarly, speaking with People in December 2020, he recalled how growing up with his three siblings helped him prepare for the role of Wade Wilson in Deadpool.

"It's intense when you're the youngest of four boys," the actor said. "You sort of cultivate all these other aspects, survival aspects, that you wouldn't normally cultivate, you know, being the oldest."

He further explained:

It’s something I always related to and I think that’s why I connected to the character 11 years ago. As a kid, I was the youngest of four boys. I wasn’t considered a younger brother, I was considered a moving target.

And while two of his brothers are police officers in British Columbia, Canada, his other brother, Patrick Reynolds, is a teacher and visual artist.

Does Ryan Reynolds Have a Twin?

People started questioning if Reynolds also has a twin brother after the actor introduced Gordon — his look-alike — to his audience through social media platforms.

But in reality, the actor neither has any identical twin nor is Gordon a real person. Instead, Gordon is actually created on-screen with the help of modern technologies.

Reynolds often does interview sessions with his frictional twin Gordon to promote his upcoming film projects.