10 Dying Acting Careers Saved By One Amazing Movie

2. Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

You had to feel sorry for Ryan Reynolds.

As an actor there was clearly potential there. He was funny, he had plenty of charisma, and unlike so many bland good-looking actors Hollywood has tried to push in the past, it actually seemed like he had a personality.

The only issue was that every movie he starred in sucked. Like, every movie. Not just one. All of them.

It didn't matter what genre he tried, the result ended up bombing. Horror? The Amityville Horror remake tanked. Romantic Comedy? Just Friends was a trainwreck. Superhero movies? The less said about Blade: Trinity, Green Lantern and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the better.

Of course, Ryan Reynolds knew he just needed the right role, and he knew that Deadpool (not the Origins: Wolverine embarrassment, the proper one) would be the perfect vehicle for his skills. The issue was, rights holders Fox didn't agree. An R-rated superhero movie that breaks the fourth wall and stars a character only comic book nerds have heard of? They didn't want to bite.

After years wearing them down though, Reynolds finally got his wish and was ultimately proven right when Deadpool became one of the most successful films of that year. Reynolds became a bonafide sensation overnight, and has enjoyed a string of other hits in the years since.