He’s been dubbed the “real life Ted Lasso” by fans. And Ryan Reynolds is now getting even closer to the comedy-drama character after he bought a house in Richmond, where the hit series is based.
The actor, 46, and his wife Blake Lively, 35, have reportedly purchased a £4 million, five-bedroom mansion in the London suburb, which they will call home for the foreseeable as Ryan films the third instalment of the superhero franchise, Deadpool, in the capital.
The area is popular with A-listers – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent a huge part of their married life living there, as did Jason Sudeikis, while playing Ted Lasso, the American manager of fictional AFC Richmond.
And buying a house in London was the obvious next step for Hollywood big hitters Ryan and Blake – who share daughters James, eight, Inez, six, and three-year-old Betty together, as well as a baby girl who they welcomed earlier this year – after The Proposal star has thrown himself into Welsh life thanks to his purchase of Wrexham AFC in 2021.
Ryan has charted his exploits with the club in a TV series, culminating in their promotion back to the Football League after 15 years in exile.
A source revealed last week, “Ryan and Blake just love Britain. It’s become a real second home for them. They’ve made some really good friends in the UK, so it made sense to have a proper base here.
“While they love Wrexham, a lot of their work is taking place in London so it seemed to make more sense to be there rather than Wales. The UK is small compared to America, so nowhere is actually that far.”
And now a source tells Closer, “Ryan and Blake have long been looking for a perfect pad closer to London and, after scouting various locations, they chose Richmond, insisting it had the best of every world – being just a stone’s throw from London while having that suburban feel – with beautiful homes, open green spaces, amazing restaurants and being right on the river.
“They’re really excited to put down roots in Richmond and build a community there – joking that they’ll be drinking tea and calling each other ‘mate’ in no time as they further embrace the UK and see it as a second home.”
Known as one of the more down-to-earth A-list couples out there, Blake and Ryan have become adopted Brits thanks to their love of the UK.
Earlier this month, Ryan – who previously jokingly expressed his love for the country by saying “Bury me in Wales!” – announced that he had struck a deal with American channel S4C to bring Welsh language content to the US. Among the shows to be broadcast are the bilingual crime drama Bang, a documentary series about young people in north Wales and their cars, Pen Petrol (Petrol Head), and Y Wal Goch (The Red Wall), a football-themed chat show presented by musician Yws Gwynedd and Mari Lovgreen.
Solidifying their status as near-national treasures, the pair also delighted fans when they popped into the Great British Bake Off tent in June, taking pictures with Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and sparking rumours that they may be taking part in the charity celebrity series for Stand Up To Cancer.
While Ryan denied reports that he’d bought a home in Wales last month, he and Blake – who, while not initially thrilled when he bought the football club, told her husband, “I’m now obsessed with this club and this community and this town and everything it represents and where it can go” – seem to have decided to make a base in the UK with their Richmond home.
The couple – who are approximately worth a combined £77.6 million – currently reside in a £1.5 million house in Bedford, New York, which they purchased after just six months of dating in 2012, but could be making a permanent move to the UK.
And although their current neighbours include Ralph Lauren, Bruce Willis, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the couple won’t be short of visitors if they move over to England.
Ryan’s good friend, actor Stanley Tucci, also lives in the capital with his wife Felicity Blunt, sister of his Devil Wears Prada co-star, Emily.
The pair are so close that Ryan was actually with the star when he was given the all-clear from oral cancer. In Stanley’s autobiography, he wrote, “And he was so sweet when they gave me the news that you’ve got the all-clear, there’s no evidence of disease, he started crying.”
And he’s not the only one with close celeb friends – as Blake has been besties with Taylor Swift since 2015.
The pop star will also be able to play tour-guide to her pal, as Taylor lived with her now ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn in Primrose Hill before they called time on their six-year relationship in April.
Ryan and Blake first met on the set of Green Lantern in 2010 – but he was actually married to actress Scarlett Johansson at the time, whereas Blake was dating her Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley. The pair then found themselves on a double-date a year later – with separate people.
After a chance encounter on a train to Boston, Ryan said their romance progressed “like a fairy tale” and they were married within a year, before having their children.
And now their love story has brought them across the pond, as the source continues, “Ryan loves everything about the UK – the people, the culture – and his recent house purchase in Richmond is testament to that as he and his family plan to spend more time there and further immerse themselves in British life.
“They feel extremely comfortable in the UK and both Ryan, Blake and their kids feel at home when they’re there, so they’re hoping to start splitting their time between London and their main base in New York.”