Ryan Reynolds has spoken about his battles with anxiety and has revealed that he feels like he has "two parts" of his personality.
Speaking on CBS show Sunday Morning in the US, the actor said, "I've had anxiety my whole life really. And you know, I feel like I have two parts of my personality, that one takes over when that happens.
"When I would go out on, like, Letterman, back in the day, I was nervous.
"But I remember I’d be standing backstage before the curtain would open, and I would think to myself, 'I’m gonna die. I’m literally gonna die here. The curtain’s gonna open and I’m just gonna be, I’m just gonna be a symphony of vomit,’ just, like, something horrible’s gonna happen!
"But as soon as that curtain opens - and this happens in my work a lot too - it’s like this little guy takes over," he added. "And he’s like, ‘I got this. You’re cool.’
"I feel, like, my heart rate drop, and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out and I’m this different person. And I leave that interview going, ‘God, I’d love to be that guy!'"
Reynolds has previously spoken about his struggles with anxiety and depression, saying in 2018: "I tend to get pretty depressed and I have some issues with anxiety and things like that.
"[I exercise every day] otherwise, I start to get a little bummed. For me, it is more psychological. Exercise is a means of expelling those demons."
The actor partly blames his anxiety issues on his relationship with his late father. "My dad was a tough guy. He was good in many ways as well, but he was tough on us," he said.
"This is not meant to be some sob story - everyone carries their own bag of rocks around and I am no different in that regard - but growing up in my house, it was never relaxing or easy and I know that, throughout my life, I’ve dealt with anxiety in different ways."
"I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but anxiety is also a great fuel. I mean, my God, it’s the anti-complacency pill, but it’s also something that you need to manage." he added.
