Ryan Reynolds opens up about how Deadpool helped him overcome his struggle with anxiety

Ryan Reynolds is one of the most famous and beloved actors in Hollywood, but beneath the confident and positive image lies someone else.

The actor, whose movie, Deadpool 2, will be launched in theaters on May 18, 2018, confessed that he has suffered from anxiety ever since he was a little boy.

The 41-year-old said that he has experienced both ends of the spectrum; from light anxiety attacks to the worst ones, and that Deadpool, the character he plays on-screen, has helped him with the process, as reported by E! News.

Reynolds' admitted being always nervous and introvert when he's not in front of the cameras, and that some of his fans have been disappointed because they were expecting him to be like Wade Wilson.

Wilson is Deadpool's real identity. The anti-hero has jumped into the spotlight ever since the release of his first movie, Deadpool, in 2016, which was a tremendous hit.

The actor claimed that when he puts on the suit, Deadpool takes over, forcing Reynolds to become just like him: a funny, confident, unpredictable, psychotic and potty-mouthed anti-hero.

By channeling the Marvel character's persona, the 41-year-old forgets all of his worries and lives in the moment; and much like Deadpool, Reynolds has a famous quick wit.

"That's that great self-defense mechanism. I figure if you're going to jump off a cliff, you might as well fly."

Ryan Reynolds, E! News, May 2, 2018

As a child, his father was the most stressful element in his life, and in order to keep the peace, young Reynolds had to step up to plate and deal with situations that children shouldn't have to worry about.

His anxiety followed him into his 20s, when he started focusing more on partying with his friends than in his own career, His anxiety would wake him up at night and he would self-medicate.

Reynolds stopped taking drugs when some of his closest friends died from overdoses. It was then that he decided to turn his life around and take his job in Hollywood more seriously.

Nowadays, he still struggles with anxiety but with Deadpool's, as well as his wife's, Blake Lively, help his condition has become more stable, allowing him to spread joy throughout the world.