Ryan Reynolds Defends Naming His Daughter James After His Dad: "It's Not Like Summer Squash Meadow Lark"

"In the spectrum of weird celebrity baby names, I feel like we're not really breaking any new ground here," the Deadpool actor says on Good Morning Britain

By Zach Johnson Feb 05, 2016 12:49 PMTags
Ryan ReynoldsKen McKay/ITV/REX Shutterstock

Oh, what's in a name?

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively weren't trying to reinvent the wheel when they decided to call their daughter James Reynolds. But, when Ryan made an appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain Friday, co-host Kate Garraway asked why they gave James a name traditionally given to boys, calling the decision "unusual." Ryan explained that they chose the name as a tribute to his dad, James C. Reynolds, 74, who died last year after a 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

"In the spectrum of weird celebrity baby names, I feel like we're not really breaking any new ground here," Ryan said. "I mean, I didn't call her Summer Squash Meadow Lark, or something."

"I also thought of all the letters being silent in her name, so it would be just be 'Haa,'" he joked.

Ryan also shared a milestone in his 13-month-old daughter's life, saying, "She's teething at the moment. I love being a father. I don't want to be one of those celebs who talks about being a parent like they're the only person in the world who has ever done it." The actor later added, "It's the most common thing in the world but the most profound. It's super fun. I just love it."

The actor wasn't on TV just to talk about James, though.

Ryan also discussed his new movie Deadpool, which took 11 years to get made. While he called the titular character his "alter ego," he promised that he's "not nearly as homicidal." In fact, the actor loved the role so much that he brought the costume home to wear for Blake. "She was a bit concerned. She thought it was a bit twisted. 'Happy anniversary!'" Ryan joked. "I keep it in the TV room, where it scares the dogs. I would hate to be the person to break into my house."

Deadpool is in theaters Feb. 12.