Ryan Reynolds has captivated audiences for decades with his sharp wit, leading man looks, and acting talent. But one part of his appearance that often gets overlooked is his facial hair – specifically his mustache. Reynolds has rocked various mustache styles over the years for certain roles. Looking back at the evolution of his mustache is a fascinating glimpse into his transformative abilities as an actor.

The Early Clean-Shaven Days

Like many young actors first establishing themselves, Reynolds started out clean shaven in his early roles. With a fresh face and boyish charm, he landed childhood gigs on shows like “The Mickey Mouse Club” (1993) and “Goosebumps” (1995-1998). Back then, there was nary a hair on his young, smooth face.

As Reynolds transitioned into teenage and young adult roles, he maintained the hairless look. It worked to his advantage as he often portrayed the popular, hunky heartthrob that made young audiences swoon. Films like “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” (2002) and his career-making turn in “The Notebook” (2004) opposite Rachel McAdams cemented his image as the handsome, clean-cut leading man.

First Mustache Sightings

Around 2005, Reynolds first began experimenting with facial hair. But at first, it was mainly some faint stubble or a light mustache shadow. These initial mustache sightings happened in smaller indie films like “The Nines” (2007). The faint hair provided an element of edge and maturity to counterbalance Reynolds’ pretty boy persona.

He kept mustache sightings to a minimum even as he entered the summer blockbuster arena. Clean-shaven was still the name of the game for Reynolds in mainstream fare like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009) and “The Proposal” (2009) opposite Sandra Bullock. But indie films allowed him room to play with scruffier looks.

In one of his most emotionally demanding roles as an inner-city teacher in “Half Nelson” (2006), Reynolds sported some subtle scruff. And as a shy introvert who enters an unusual romantic relationship in “Lars and the Real Girl” (2007), he allowed a faint mustache to highlight his socially awkward character. These small but meaningful mustache experimentations revealed an actor beginning to come into his own.

The Mustached Period

By the end of the 2000s, Reynolds had built up enough acting credibility to go full mustache. This new look coincided with bolder, more intense film choices that subverted his pretty boy past.

The first true mustache era for Reynolds emerged in the neo-noir action thriller “Buried” (2010). As a truck driver buried alive in Iraq with only a cell phone and lighter, his thick horseshoe mustache added gravitas and a grittier edge to the desperate character. The film relied solely on Reynolds’ raw emotional performance, and the striking mustache was an integral part of his character’s tortured psyche.

In the 2011 indie crime drama “The Whale,” Reynolds donned a darker, more sinister looking mustache. As a journalist investigating the mysterious death of a young boy, the mustache hinted at darker secrets lying beneath the surface of his obsessed character. The facial hair helped convey an ambivalent morality and obsessive nature critical to the complex role.

Lighter Mustache Looks

Reynolds also deployed his mustache powers for good in lighter fare. In the body swap comedy “The Change-Up” (2011) opposite Jason Bateman, his rugged horseshoe mustache fit the down-on-his-luck slacker persona forced to grow up overnight. And as the eponymous hero in “Green Lantern” (2011), his dashing chevron style mustache was perfectly coiffed for a cocky test pilot granted supernatural powers.

Then in “The Croods” (2013) as the patriarch of a prehistoric family, Reynolds relied on a fuller, more unkempt mustache to emphasize his primitive caveman ways. And as a ruthless mobster in “R.I.P.D.” (2013), he used a pencil-thin mustache disguise to go undercover amongst the living to battle destructive souls. Reynolds clearly had fun adopting different mustache personalities throughout lighter films.

The Mustache Today

After going clean shaven again in the mid 2010s, Reynolds has revived his mustache appreciation in recent years. Reprising his role as Deadpool in 2018’s “Deadpool 2,” he fashioned a perfectly coiffed handlebar mustache that sarcastically winked at the superhero image. And for the action comedy “6 Underground” (2019), he allowed his horseshoe mustache to grow fully grey befitting the dark mission of his off-the-books squad.

Most recently in Michael Bay’s Netflix film “6 Underground,” Reynolds donned a salt-and-pepper horseshoe mustache to match his status as leader of an elite vigilante squad. The facial hair signals both wisdom and weariness for his character operating outside the law.

Through clever mustache modifications, Reynolds continues to expand his acting range and delve deeper into complex characters. And he does it all while maintaining his signature charm and magnetism that mustache or no mustache will keep audiences returning for more. Reynolds’ mustache evolution has mirrored his growth as a versatile and captivating actor.