One might think that the power couple, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, would be living like royals in a mansion somewhere near Hollywood.
But, instead the adorable couple, who have a combined net worth of about $400 million US, are living in a quaint countryside village in North Wales, with distant views of castles used by the British Royal family.
The quick-witted Reynolds wasn’t trying to escape swooning fans when he moved to the sleepy town of Marford, which has a population of about 2,500, because there, his celebrity is multiplied due to the recent success the Wrexham Association Football Club (AFC) is experiencing under his leadership.
Wrexham AFC is the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional association team in the world. The team plays at the Racecourse Ground, which is minutes away from the $1.9 US million home in Marford, North Wales, that Reynolds recently purchased.
Canadian-born Reynolds and actor Robert McElhenney, known for his role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia, are co-owners of the football club (soccer in the U.S.), which they bought in 2021.
Neither actor had experience in running a sports team, but Reynolds is no stranger to running a business. In addition to his massively successful acting career, he founded the production company, Maximum Effort, and owns stakes in many companies including Aviation American Gin, and Canadian telecom Nuvei.
The struggling sports team was a new challenge for Reynolds who had the goal of improving performance and rallying support from the Wrexham community, which is documented in the TV docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham, the real-life Ted Lasso.
“Together with the players, the staff, the fans, and the local community, we can now pursue our goal to grow the team and return it to the EFL in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham,” the co-owners said in a release. The EFL, English Football League, is where professional clubs from England and Wales compete.
Putting a bid in for the team in 2020, Reynolds appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! And recalls that he was in a bit of trouble with Lively, whom he married in 2012, when he failed to communicate the transaction.
“I remember seeing Blake and saying, ‘I have bad news and I have really bad news. The bad news is I slipped into someone’s DMs again. The really bad news is that I might have bought half of a fifth-tier national football league in Wales.’” Reynolds said that Lively’s response was “not good.”
“We’re still working through that one,” Reynolds joked.
There are no regrets for the couple, who along with their four daughters, will split their time between their home in Pound Lake, NY, which according to the US Census Bureau, has a population of almost 5,200 residents, and their new home in Marford.
Magus Malik, who owns the Red Lion Pub–one of two pubs in the town–told the Daily Mail that Wrexham residents are buzzing to have Reynolds move in.
“It’s wonderful news. Ryan Reynolds has done so much for Wrexham and the local area. It’s caused a real buzz in the village, many of the locals are excited that such a huge star is going to be living here,” Malik said.
The Deadpool star, known for his effortless delivery of jokes, has appeared in many box office hits like The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, The Croods: A New Age, The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Free Guy.
Malik continued, “I’ve seen a lot of his movies and I’ve obviously watched the Netflix documentary about him and Rob McElhenney taking over at Wrexham football club. Ryan seems like a real down to earth guy and I think he’ll fit in around here. It’s a friendly and welcoming place to live. I’m sure he’ll love it as much as us. And he’s more than welcome in the pub, we’ll have a pint waiting for him.”
The town might not be so sleepy for long as the area and its beloved football team, are getting a lot of attention with Reynold’s arrival.
His modest approach to handling fame is so endearing that even King Charles wanted to meet him. In December 2022, King Charles and Queen Consort Camila visited the Racecourse Ground and met with team executives.
According to People, the senior royals visited the club to learn more about its development plans and were “walked through the Player’s Tunnel for an authentic experience.” After, they were escorted onto the pitch by Reynolds and McElhenney.
Reynolds may soon also own a professional hockey team. His experience running a sports team got the ball rolling and in 2022, he revealed his intentions of buying the struggling Ottawa Senators, a team in the National Hockey League, that can also use his support.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively do some amazing things with all their charity work, and now, Reynolds is rescuing a sports club, that prior to his arrival had team members and staff on furlough. Some might call him a real-life superhero!
