Responsibility & Ryan Reynolds

I remember exactly where I first saw Ryan Reynolds appear as an actor. I was in college, long before he was Deadpool or the wireless plan commercial guy or half of one of the most charming celebrity couples. Back then, he was just Berg—a sarcastic slacker on a deeply forgettable sitcom called Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.

It was a really dumb show—and my roommate John and I loved it. After every episode, we’d debate who was more like Berg (Reynolds’ character) and who was more like Pete (the other guy).

Sadly — when the show was canceled, Ryan Reynolds mostly dropped off my radar.

I honestly don’t think I’ve seen any of his movies over the past 25 years. I skipped Deadpool. I didn’t buy Mint Mobile or any of his gin. He was just a famous actor I was vaguely aware of… and that was that.

But then a few years ago, post-pandemic and in need of a new show*, I heard about Welcome to Wrexham.

*I am always in need of a new show

As a big soccer fan—and a longtime fan of Rob McElhenney from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia—I decided to check it out.

I’ve followed international soccer most of my life, but I’ve never really had a European team that felt like mine. I’m not from any of these towns and cities in the UK, Spain or Italy and never wanted to appropriate someone else’s squad. Sure, I’ll root for a Premier League team if they feature a USMNT player or two but maybe, if this show made me a fan, Wrexham could become my team.

Welcome to Wrexham is an FX docuseries that follows Reynolds and McElhenney as they purchase and attempt to revive Wrexham AFC, one of the world’s oldest football clubs, in a proud, working-class Welsh town. What could have been a vanity project or clever PR stunt quickly became something else.

Now, I could have titled this blog Responsibility and Rob McElhenney—but let’s be honest. Just like in the show, Rob is the lovable second banana. Ryan’s the headliner. And, in this case, he’s also a surprisingly powerful example of what the CliftonStrengths talent of Responsibility looks like in the wild.

Up the Town

When Reynolds and McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, most commentators thought they were trying to do a true-to-life version of Ted Lasso, but as owner instead of coach. Many locals were skeptical: two Hollywood actors, one Canadian and one from Philly, with zero soccer experience, swooping in to save the day?

But Wrexham wasn’t a joke. And neither were they.

For more on the story of how they came to buy the club, read this (or watch the show!)

Wrexham is more than a football club—it’s a symbol of a town that had been hit hard by economic shifts and industrial decline. And for decades, both the club and community were struggling. Rather than treat the project as a fun little social experiment, Ryan and Rob took true ownership—not just of a team, but of the promises they made to the people of Wrexham.

That’s the heart of the Responsibility talent. As Gallup puts it, people with this strength take psychological ownership of what they commit to. Their word is their bond. Their signature is a promise. They’d rather follow through and fail than bail and have it somehow work out.

When I coach people with this talent, I’ll sometimes ask, “Have you ever missed a deadline?” And they’ll look at me, stunned—like I just asked if they’ve ever left a puppy on the side of the road. That’s how deep the sense of duty runs.

Ryan and Rob poured their own resources into Wrexham. They upgraded the stadium. They created global awareness through storytelling. They showed up—physically, emotionally, and financially. They have spent more time in North Wales than anyone expected from two actors with packed schedules and Hollywood careers.

And when things didn’t go according to plan? When the team failed to earn promotion in Season One and fell heartbreakingly short? They didn’t flinch. They leaned in even harder.

As Ryan said on the website formerly known as Twitter after one of the club’s crushing losses:

“Football is a beautiful, heartbreaking, soul-deadening, evil and gorgeous game and I’m never sleeping again”

That’s Responsibility in a nutshell.

Commitment Beyond the Pitch

Their ownership wasn’t just about men’s football. If this were a surface-level PR move, the women’s team would have been an afterthought. Instead, they invested in it—financially and visibly. It’s a major focus of the docuseries.

They launched initiatives to support neurodivergent fans and make match day more accessible. They spotlighted local pubs and small businesses, bringing real economic impact to the region. When you become a fan of the show, you learn just as much about the people in the town as you do the players.

They made it clear: this wasn’t just about building a team. It was about rebuilding a community.

And the results? I won’t spoil them (though if you know anything about the football pyramid, you probably already know). But Welcome to Wrexham tells one of the most improbable and joyful underdog stories in modern sports history.

Responsibility

If you lead with Responsibility, you might see yourself in Ryan Reynolds’ (and Rob McElhenny’s) Wrexham journey. You likely:

• Hate breaking a promise (even a small one).
• Feel personally invested in outcomes once you’ve committed.
• Take work home with you—not just in your bag, but in your heart.

People with Responsibility are the ones you trust. And trust, when nurtured, transforms teams, communities, even entire towns.

But it’s also a talent that needs boundaries. If you always say yes, always step up, always carry the load—people might start expecting it. So know this about yourself and be mindful of it. Communicate how important to you it is, but be honest when your tank is full – that’s how you can keep Responsibility from going from superpower to burden.

So, here’s to following through. To owning the work, not just doing it. And to knowing when to lean in… and when to ask for help.

Because as Ryan Reynolds has shown—sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is keep your word.

Even if that word is to a town and Football Club you’d never heard of… until you made it your team.

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