Ryan Reynolds on Post-Election America: I Can Understand So Much of the Fear

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Millions of Americans threatened to move to Canada were Donald Trump elected president and, now that that has happened, whether they will make good on their promise remains to be seen. For Golden Globe-nominated “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds, born and raised in Vancouver, the election was an endlessly fascinating — and often frustrating — experience to behold.

“I would have loved to have voted in this election, now more than ever, but I didn’t get to have a voice,” says Reynolds, who, while married to American actress Blake Lively, is not an American citizen, though he has lived in the States for almost longer than he lived in Canada.

“I’m right at that age where I’m making that transition,” he says. “It is interesting to watch it all unfold. We are standing at the precipice of what I think is going to be a very historical, heavily scrutinized period in United States history and it’s also a very frightening time.”

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Of course, no country is perfect and even Canada, with its enduring reputation for politeness, crisp, clean air, and ethnic and racial tolerance, has its share of problems. But given the current political climate in the States, Reynolds can empathize with those considering a run for our friendly northern border.

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“I can understand so much of the fear that comes from this huge portion of the population that’s going to feel disenfranchised and that’s experiencing a tremendous amount of anxiety about their future,” he says. “Minority groups, women, LGBTQ communities — those are all communities that I think are rightfully very afraid for the moment and I’m afraid with them and for them.”

Reynolds, who is receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, has definitely seen his fair share of elections, but this year was strikingly different, he says.

“It’s interesting to see this divide and that obviously comes with the territory of the two-party system,” he says. “But I’m 40 and I’ve watched a lot of elections, and I’ve never seen anything quite this divisive, so I’m curious to see how it’s going to shake out.”

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