Ryan Reynolds launches nonprofit to help underrepresented groups get started in creative fields

Ryan Reynolds is launching a nonprofit to help people from underrepresented communities get started in creative careers.

The ‘Deadpool’ actor hopes The Creative Ladder can help “talent of all backgrounds” has the chance to flourish, while the organisation will offer programmes and services to boost career options in advertising, marketing, design and commercial production, as well as providing leadership training, mentorship and more.

Ryan said in a statement: “We started talking about The Creative Ladder right after we launched the Group Effort Initiative, so I am so thrilled the day is finally here.

“I love making ads and want to help make sure talent of all backgrounds have the access and information they need to succeed.

“Ads are just another form of storytelling and a more representative workforce will only make this industry stronger and enable it to tell better stories.”

The 45-year-old star’s project will officially launch later this year alongside a leadership conference and the six-month Leadership Academy, which will virtually teach management skills.

Professional services network Deloitte has signed on as a founding donor with a $500,000 donation.

The company’s US executive chair Janet Foutty added: “As a founding donor of The Creative Ladder, Deloitte is thrilled to support their mission to strengthen the pipeline of racially and ethnically diverse professionals seeking careers in the creative field, and create more leadership pathways for the next generation of creative professionals.

“Underrepresented communities haven’t had the same networking and career development opportunities as most creatives.

“Creating a more diverse pool of talent is a critical step in creating an equitable future across multiple creative segments.”

Meanwhile, Ryan – who has daughters James, seven, Inze, five, and Betty, two, with his wife Blake Lively – has admitted “brutal” parenting mistakes have been an education.

Speaking in Cannes, he said: “I used to tell my kids, ‘Don’t waste your mistakes’.

“When you’re making mistakes it’s easy to sort of be absorbed by shame and sort of this idea that you’ve done something wrong, but you also have to look at it critically and use it as a stepping stone to learning something profound.”