Ryan Reynolds reveals secret to his creative genius

Ryan Reynolds is lifting the curtain on how he crafts his signature brand of comedic advertising, and why humor remains his secret weapon.

During a new conversation with PEOPLE Magazine at The Wall Street Journal’s CMO Summit, the Deadpool star shared that he uses humor as a strategy.

“Well, humor and emotion are the two feelings that I think travel the most,” he said.

Reynolds explained that both tools work because they break barriers and disarm audiences, but when combined, they create messaging that feels human and memorable instead of transactional.

“Humor works so well, so does emotion. But if you get them together, it really, really just creates togetherness. It creates that feeling that we’re all right now, we’re not divided.”

He also reflected on meaningful advice he once received from celebrated screenwriter Richard Curtis that still shapes how he writes and performs.

“He said every character has to have a beginning, a middle and an end. [The advice] really kind of stuck with me,” Reynolds shared.