Ryan Reynolds recalls being 'run over by a drunk driver' at 18
The Canadian-born actor was allegedly hit by a drunk driver and later hospitalized after a night of drinking in his hometown of Vancouver.
Edward SegarraAs far as drinking horror stories go, Ryan Reynolds has the mother of all plot twists.
During an interview with GQ magazine, released Tuesday, June 9, the Emmy-winning actor reflected on his severe injuries from an incident in his late teens in which he was allegedly hit by a drunk driver.
Reynolds was joined by his Wrexham A.F.C. co-owner, Rob Mac, for the interactive interview, which saw the pair assemble a furniture set from IKEA.
"I got run over by a drunk driver after making a firmly positive and wise decision for a young, 18-year-old male. Spent four weeks in the hospital," Reynolds, now 49, said, jokingly comparing the difficulty of the furniture assembly to the incident.
The "Deadpool" star and Canadian-born actor said the alleged car crash took place after he was walking home from a bar after having a drink. Reynolds said he opted to leave his car and not drive home because of his alcohol consumption. However, when Reynolds went to cross the street, he said he was slammed into by the intoxicated motorist.
"[I] broke every bone in my left side," Reynolds said, to which Mac replied, "That's the first time I've heard that!"
"He hit me so hard, his car was not operational," Reynolds added, before throwing in a playful shout-out to his doctor and the Canadian healthcare system. "I'd like to thank Dr. Meek at the General Hospital for putting me back together so kindly. Socialized medicine, he couldn't say no."
This isn't the first time Reynolds has spoken about the harrowing experience.
In a 2011 interview with CTV News, Reynolds detailed the aftermath of the alleged incident, which took place in his hometown of Vancouver. The actor said he spent three days in a coma following the car crash.
"I remember my dad sitting there ... [with] a vomit tray. And I guess I had been heaving in my unconscious," Reynolds said at the time, per HuffPost. "And nothing says love like painting someone with three-day-old Gin Rummies. Just soaked the man head to toe in my vomit."
Despite making a full recovery, Reynolds said he continued to suffer physical side effects from his injuries.
"Since then, I’ve been a rickety, broken mess," Reynolds said.