Ryan Reynolds has spoken about his passion for Wrexham, calling the ownership experience “the joy of my life”.
The Hollywood star, alongside Rob McElhenney, took over the Welsh club in February 2021. Their hefty investment has propelled the team from the National League to League One, and they’ve shone a global spotlight on the region with their acclaimed documentary “Welcome to Wrexham.”
Speaking at an event in Chicago hosted by former U.S. president Barack Obama, Reynolds shared his deep emotional connection with the team and community. At the Obama Foundation 2024 Democracy Forum, he highlighted how sports can unite people during politically divisive times.
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He said: “Sports, music and movies are all experiences that require us to check our bulls— at the door. We all get to feel the same thing for a minute in a world that’s so tribal and we all get to root for the same thing.”
“We take our hats off and whatever our tribal colors are, and we all get to feel something pretty special together. Wrexham has been the joy of my life, and it’s an ongoing joy. It is something that I’ve learned so much from.”
In October, Reynolds and McElhenney welcomed new minority investors into the fold, furthering their mission to uplift the local community. After selling their medical device manufacturing company, Welch Allyn Inc, for a hefty $2bn in 2015, the Allyn family from New York has jumped into several philanthropic efforts aimed at revitalizing Syracuse, New York.
Reynolds compared the Welsh town of Wrexham to American cities like Syracuse during last week’s conference, recognizing both have endured tough times after once thriving on industry. He confessed that altering the perceptions of Wrexham locals was no easy feat.
He said: “Wrexham is like Scranton and a lot of towns in northern New York like Syracuse that have had a moment in time when they were boomtowns with coal and steel, and then fell on hard times. We went into this with the attitude that we don’t know everything.
“We are not here to tell anyone how to play football – we are here to tell the story. Everything during the first year was (people asking) ‘why us? ‘ I remember one woman said to Rob and I that nothing good ever happens here, and nothing good will ever happen to me.”
“It was very pervasive at the time, but the high tide raises all boats. You can center storytelling around a community and do it in a way that’s organic, where people feel reflected.”
Over his career, Reynolds is known for his versatility as an actor but has also stepped foot into several business ventures lately. At 48, Ryan Reynolds, co-owner of Wrexham and entrepreneur with stakes in Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile, reflects on his journey into football club ownershipa venture he admits he wouldn’t have considered in his youth due to fear of failure.
He said: “I don’t think I could have done this earlier than when I was 40. I embraced sucking and failing much more in my late 30s and 40s, and by doing that, it freed me up in the greatest possible way.”
“Everyone has anxiety and that has always kept me within a safety lane and not really stepping out. But then it’s like, just f***ing get over yourself.”
The actor also spoke about the profound impact of emotional investment through Wrexham, saying, “What Wrexham has really grown inside of me is the value and importance of emotional investment.
“If people can be galvanised through emotional investment and feel like they’re a part of something, they will engage, and they will also tell their story.”
Delving into the unifying power of football, Reynolds noted how he takes a piece of Wrexham with him after visits, he said: “We live in a very political world, where everything is divisive and I feel like connecting with people is very important.”
“Wales is no different and where Wrexham is, there is a political divide between right wing and left wing. But when people walk into the Racecourse Ground, that stuff just goes away, and we’re all enjoying and loving the moment. Every time I go there, I grab a piece of grass and shove it in my pocket.”
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