Ryan Reynolds is the perfect family man... sometimes.

If you know anything about the Canadian actor, you'll know that he's hilarious and has a witty remark for basically everything, even at the expense of his family. Since marrying Blake Lively, and having three daughters, Reynolds has to keep sane doing something, and making fun of his wife, and give us some of the funniest parenting quotes ever is how he copes.

Reynolds and Lively's banter, and the interesting way they are taking on parenting, is truly inspiring, but Reynolds didn't always have that laid back family life. In fact, he had a pretty hard childhood and was riddled with anxiety as a kid.

Here's a closer look into the class clown's childhood, and how he used his humor to combat it.

Reynolds Describes His Father As A "Full-Time Landmine"

With Reynolds' personality, you'd probably never think that he had a pretty rough childhood. But then again a lot of comedians or naturally funny people sometimes come from those kinds of backgrounds.

In 2014, Reynolds penned a story about his childhood in Time's "Time for Thanks," and explained it all. Reynolds said that even though he's very close to his brothers, he often "felt less like a little brother and more like a moving target," as the youngest of four boys, and that "alliances were forged and broken daily."

Their father was a very strict man. While Reynolds has said that his father was good, he also said that he was a "full-time landmine" who made Reynolds' anxiety skyrocket as a kid.

He was "the toughest man alive: a former cop, former boxer, and full-time landmine," Reynolds wrote. "He worked tirelessly to provide for his family and in return, you were expected to do what he said, often before he said it. It was a somewhat impossible situation for any normally functioning nervous system. In a word, he was scary. Not because he was sadistic or physically abusive. He was scary because he was one of those people with an energetic ‘weight’ to him. He could snatch the life right out of you with a simple look. Shifting his weight ever so slightly from one foot to another could transform an otherwise delightful 6th birthday party into what felt like an Irish funeral."

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Then came the day that Reynolds decided he wanted an earring. He wasn't so much scared about the physical act of getting it than he was of his father's reaction.

"I was terrified. Not terrified to have a hole punched through my virginal ear, but terrified about the hole that would be punched through my future, when my father found out."

He tried to get the support of his brothers but that didn't go down well at all either. They all bluntly told him he was going to die. Reynolds got it done anyway, but to soften the blow on their younger brother, Reynold's brothers all got earrings as well, to his surprise.

All their father said at the dinner table that night was one colorful word.

When His Father Did Blow Up, It Left A Mark On Reynolds' Psyche

After experiencing some of his father's famous blow-ups, Reynold's relationship with him started to wain and affect his mental health.

"My dad was a tough guy. He was good in many ways as well, but he was tough on us," Reynolds said. "This is not meant to be some sob story - everyone carries their own bag of rocks around and I am no different in that regard."

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"But growing up in my house, it was never relaxing or easy and I know that, throughout my life, I've dealt with anxiety in different ways."

Reynolds confessed to Mr. Porter Magazine that he adopted his funny personality to combat the grief and anxiety he was living at home.

"My brothers and I are all very, very close and we all share a bit of that type of humor together," he said. "I'll look for the joke in things so that I don't look for the sadness and the grief. I tend to get pretty depressed and I have some issues with anxiety and things like that."

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But humor isn't the only coping mechanism Reynolds has. He uses exercise to get rid of the bad energy as well.

"For me, it is more psychological. Exercise is a means of expelling those demons. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but anxiety is also a great fuel. I mean, my God, it's the anti-complacency pill, but it's also something that you need to manage."

 He Did End Up Reconciling With His Father

The often stressful upbringing that Reynolds and his siblings endured pretty much severed any kind of relationship between father and son. But in the end, they did put the past behind them and made up. It was all thanks to Lively actually.

Jim Reynolds made up with his son in 2015, the same year he passed away from his 20 year battle with Parkinson's disease. He was also able to meet his granddaughter, James, who is named after him.

"All family relationships come with some complications," Reynolds said. "For better or worse, all roads lead to here.
"At the end of the day, it’s easier to focus on the good stuff than the bad. My father died soon after my daughter was born, but he got to see her, which makes me happy." It's great to hear that the Reynolds men made up. Having his own family probably made him understand his father at least a little better, and maybe even made him appreciate all that he did. Now, Reynolds tortures his own family, in his own humorous way. Next: Fans Believe Hugh Jackman Just Teased A Wolverine-Deadpool Movie With Ryan Reynolds