Ryan Reynolds stepped away from acting after teen drama Fifteen

According to Collider, Ryan Reynolds initially wanted to quit acting after starring as Billy Simpson on the Canadian teen drama Hillside, known in the United States as Fifteen.

The series aired from 1991 to 1993 on YTV and Nickelodeon and followed Hillside School students through issues like family breakdown and friendship. Reynolds' Billy deals with his parents' separation, befriends the rebel Dylan Blackwell and a Finnish transfer student named Olaf, and at times lashes out as he figures himself out. Reynolds took the role mainly to get out of the house and earn $150 per episode, and he later said he did not particularly enjoy the experience.

After Fifteen, Reynolds stepped away from acting to work in a warehouse and help open a restaurant for two years, a decision he has said he was glad to make because he did not want to end up like many child actors who struggle with substance abuse. He subsequently dropped out of college, moved to Los Angeles at 19, and returned to acting in a series of supporting roles, eventually growing into a Hollywood star.

Key Topics

Culture, Ryan Reynolds, Fifteen, Hillside, Billy Simpson, Ytv