Ranked among Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Willis, and Dwyane Wade as some of Hollywood’s best girl dads is father of three (with another on the way), Ryan Reynolds.

The Canadian-born actor and producer shares young daughters James, Inez, and Betty, and a fourth 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 who they welcomed in early 2023 with his beloved wife, actress Blake Lively. The pair, who wed in 2012, was swoon-worthy before becoming “Mom and Dad,” but their relationship has somehow risen to an even more covetable level after becoming parents. They’re truly a dream team, and we live for every moment of it.

Ryan Reynolds at The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” in New York City.

The couple is very conscious of shielding their children from the public eye, so whenever either Lively or Reynolds drops a rare nugget about life with their four kiddos, people go wild. The savored anecdotes are usually comedic recounts of Lively fearlessly leading the troop or Reynolds doing his best to navigate life as a girl dad, but regardless of which family memories they’re sharing, the stories are pretty much always told in lung-busting hilarity.

Whether he’s getting candid about fatherhood or comparing his experiences as a dad to the sci-fi horror film Aliens, Ryan Reynolds has had plenty of heartwarming girl dad moments — and we’ve compiled some of his very best.

Going The Distance

Ryan Reynolds cemented his Dad Girl status in … well … cement when he admitted in 2015 how much he loves James.

“I truly worship that kid. It’s terrible. She has me so far wrapped around her finger it’s dumb. She says ‘Dada’ and I will walk through a cement wall to get to her.”

And yes, things (somehow!) just keep getting cuter from here.

Running Home

In Nov. 2022, Lively introduced her husband before he was presented the American Cinematheque Award. She took the time to tell the audience in Los Angeles and those worldwide how committed her husband is to their kids.

“Whether it’s from across the globe or a meeting across the street, he is hardwired to get home,” she said. “If he came home from set not in his wardrobe, we would be very concerned. Soaked in mud, fake blood, real blood, prosthetic scars, superhero suits, tap shoes, or clown makeup — daddy always comes home.”

Super Self Aware

In Oct. 2023, Reynolds revealed that learning to be self-aware is big in the Reynolds-Lively household.

“For me, the best time of my day is walking them to school and walking them back,” he told PEOPLE. “I think as parents, we are so much better equipped to handle the rigors of childhood through our kids now than when I was a kid. It’s just totally different now. People are much more self-aware.”

“And that’s the thing we sort of hang our hat on the most is self-awareness with our kids,” he continued. “Not be happy, not be anything, just be self-aware and welcome everything in.”

Sweet Dad Jokes

In 2016, when James was 2 years old and Inez was on the way, Reynolds shared a very hardy-har-har dad joke on Twitter. It had us smiling while rolling our eyes because you know he’s really just a big ol’ softy.

“Being a father is the single greatest feeling on earth. Not including those wonderful years I spent without a child, of course.”

Best Friend Bracelets

In a move that somehow makes him even more stylish, Reynolds wore an assortment of beaded bracelets his daughters made him during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He revealed that he’d actually been wearing them all summer, making him an elite girl dad who proudly shows off his papa status. And this was way before the Eras Tour friendship bracelet craze!

Growing for His Gals

Since becoming a dad, Reynolds is constantly questioning gender biases and training himself to think in a women-friendly perspective. Lively shared during an interview with Glamour, “We’ve joked that my daughter [James] is bossy. But [Ryan] said, ‘I don’t ever want to use that word again. You’ve never heard a man called bossy.’”

The actress continued, “I’m lucky to have someone who is so conscious. My husband was like, ‘Why do I always say he?’ And I said, ‘That’s what we’re taught.’ So he’ll pick up, like, a caterpillar, and instead of saying, ‘What’s his name?’ he’ll say, ‘What’s her name?’”

Family First

In 2021, Reynolds announced he would be taking a break from acting to spend more time with his daughters and Lively — a touching move to put his family before his illustrious career.

He told Access Hollywood, “My kids are growing up faster than time and space would have suggested, so, I want to be there and I want to spend some time with them. I probably won’t shoot anything until the end of the summer, so we’ll see.”

Reynolds also told The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m just trying to create a little bit more space for my family and time with them. You know, you don’t really get that time back.”

Mental Health Model

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Reynolds credited his daughters as his inspiration for being open about mental health.

“I have three daughters at home, and part of my job as a parent is to model behaviors, and model what it’s like to be sad and model what it’s like to be anxious, or angry. That there’s space for all these things,” he said. “Part of that is to de-stigmatize things and create a conversation around [mental health].”

Present Parenting

In an adorable interview with Mario Lopez’s kids for Access Hollywood, Gia Lopez asks The Croods actor what makes him “the ultimate girl dad.”

Reynolds’ answer was heartfelt and thoughtful: “I try to be as present as possible. We don’t split up. I shoot movies and my wife shoots movies, and we go travel all over the place, and we just all go together. So, I think that’s been the best part of it, is that we really don’t spend a lot of time apart. I get to spend a lot of time with my girls.”

Devoted Dad

When Reynolds found out Lively was in labor with their third daughter, Betty, he was reportedly filming a movie. In a move that proves he’s a top-tier husband and daddy, the actor ditched the set to join Lively’s side for the birth and first few days of newborn glory. A source told Us Weekly, “Ryan left the set he was working [on] for about eight days.”

Living the Dream

In a sweet and funny appearance on The Ellen Show, Reynolds talked about the joy he’s found in fatherhood, saying “It’s really kind of made me a better person, I think,” adding a cheeky, “I sort of miss being horrible.” He continues, “It’s a dream; they’re the best. They’re like my little buddies. I love it.”

Bedtime Woes

In a hilarious (as always) Instagram post promoting his Aviation Gin, Reynolds wrote in the caption, “Bags under my eyes by two thankless a—holes who refused to go to bed the night before, despite the fact I read them Winnie the Pooh and nearly half of Stephen King’s The Shining.”

The a—holes in question? His bedtime-resistant daughters, James and Inez. Nothing like a little “Red Rum” to put ’em out, right?

Biggest Fans

Lively and Taylor Swift are known besties, and their sweet friendship has even woven itself into one of Swift’s songs, “Gorgeous.” At the beginning of the track, a child says “gorgeous,” but it isn’t just any child — it’s Lively and Reynold’s eldest daughter, James.

The couple was so excited about their little girl’s cameo that they went to one of Swift’s concerts to experience it live. In a beyond-precious video taken by a fellow concert attendee, Lively and Reynolds are seen all-out fangirling and jumping up and down in the moments before hearing James’ voice on the loud speakers, with Lively excitedly filming the experience.