As many stories you hear of icons and legends that have come from all over the world Vancouver holds a handful of celebrities that are more than just local legends. They span from Artist, Actors, and Athletes just to name a few. And maybe even your favourite celebrity grew up in a city near you. 

Ryan Reynolds 

Most famously known as a comedian, writer , actor and active sports team owner Ryan Reynolds career has spanned for over 20 years and is still thriving today. Reynolds Born on October 23 1976 Vancouver BC has been active since he was just 13 years making his debut on a teen soap opera on Nickelodeon called Hillside. He even graduated from Kitsilano Secondary school in 1994. Reynolds continued to have small roles in movies and became leads in some iconic Romantic Comedies like Definitely Maybe, The Proposal, and some action movies like X-Men Origins: Wolverine Green Lantern where he met his now future wife and fellow actress Blake Lively and his famously devilish Canadian Anti Hero Deadpool. This was a blockbuster hit which then went on to co-write and produce its famous sequel Deadpool 2. Coming up in July the third movie of the Franchise will be releasing and will be following the adventures of Deadpool and Wolverine where Ryan has brought back Hugh Jackman to reprise his role once more. Other than his acting chops Ryan gives a lot of credit recognizing Vancouver and is always adding details in his work that reflects Vancouver. He is active in contributing to the Vancouver Food Bank and Blake Lively and Him both have contributed since 2020 about 2 million dollars towards Food Banks Canada, the at-risk youth charity Covenant House in Toronto and Vancouver,  and St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. The details within his work are seen within his famous Deadpool Movies where most of it was shot here in Vancouver. Locations like Science World,Chinatown, The Cobalt Hotel, and Arch alley are some of the filming locations used within various sequences of the movie. He also co owns and invests in a couple of sports teams including, Wrexham FC, Alpine Racing Team , and Ottawa Senators. Safe to say he’s quite the businessman and one of Vancouver’s best to come out of the city. Overall, Ryan Reynolds’ career still thrives today with his show Wrexham FC still running and many upcoming projects set to arrive this year. 

Taylor Russell 

Taylor Russell has been active since 2012 she’s an actor and style icon as most recently Harry Styles current girlfriend which makes him 10 times cooler than he already is. Taylor has starred in some of my favourite movies and maybe yours as well. The two that first come to mind are Waves (2019) and Bones and All (2022). She was born in Deep Cove North Vancouver which is such a place to grow up in with its beautiful coastal lookouts and popular spot for the summer. I was actually quite surprised to find out that she was from Vancouver but I was very pleased to hear so because other than her outstanding work as an actress she is a very popular style icon with her looks constantly turning heads in each event she walks into. Her aura is so admirable and the way she carries herself is so soft and graceful. Here’s one of my favourite looks that she just recently stunned at this year’s Met Gala in Loewe.

And another one of my favourite looks of hers was at the London Film Festival in 2022 while promoting the Bones and All film wearing Schiaparelli.

When I first discovered her back in 2019 with the Waves film I couldn’t help but fall in love with her talent. That film is definitely in my top list. She portrays a teenage girl trying to figure out life after the events of her older brother going to prison and the struggles and grief that come along with it all trying to continue on with her life as a young girl. It is truly so nice to know that someone so talented could come from a place just a half an hour away from my house or maybe just down the street from you! And as a massive fan girl when her and Harry Styles were seen in deep cove earlier this year I have to admit there was a part of me that went, what if I just took a day off to go to deep cove? Overall Taylor is still acting and stunting looks to this day and I cannot wait to see her career keep progressing over the years. 

Seth Rogen 

Longtime actor , comedian , writer and producer Seth Rogen is another icon from VanCity. Seth born on April 15th 1982 has been active since 1999 starring in Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks a short lived TV series starring some big names like James Franco and Linda Cardellini. Seth attended Point Grey Secondary School and just like Ryan Reynolds still reflects Vancouver within his work. In the Netflix Series Breakfast Lunch and Dinner Seth Rogen and chef David Chung take on a handful of food spots around the city but before that Seth and David checked out some highlight spots around Vancouver to work up an appetite. They first stopped at Queen Elizabeth Park to spark one up and really get that full Vancouver experience in the best way possible. They tried out some donuts from Lee’s Donuts in the Granville Island Public Market, Sun Sui Wah Seafood and Apna Bhaia. You can check this all out on Netflix. It is the first episode of the series. And have you ever heard a familiar voice on the skytrain a couple years ago? Seth used to be a guest speaker on the Translink Skytrains; they were quite a surprise to hear especially with his silly yet legendary laugh is one you couldn’t miss. In Summary, Seth Rogen will always be a name you won’t forget and because of his constant references of Vancouver he’ll always be a local legend around here. And hey you might catch him at some Canucks games once in a while. 

Vancouver has many more famous names that continue to shine in their careers whether it’s through fashion, artistry , acting or athleticism. But it’s always nice and sort of comforting that some of your possible favourite celebs could have just grown up right next door to you. I’m still holding out hope that Taylor Russell and Harry Styles take another Deep Cove trip. Maybe that will be the only time my friends will possibly catch a glimpse of Harry since he hasn’t done a show here in forever. Otherwise, if you’re passionate about acting or singing, maybe you could be our next local legend. You never know what your cards hold for the future.