Ryan Reynolds has praised Abu Dhabi’s investment in arts, culture and education, arguing that distinctive cultural life and a willingness to embrace eccentricity help cities build identity and thrive.Speaking on Tuesday at the inaugural LIVEX 2026 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, the Canadian actor, producer and entrepreneur said the emirate was succeeding in creating the conditions that give communities character rather than simply pursuing polished urban development.
Reynolds told the Growth with Soul session that universities could become catalysts for city growth by encouraging young people to remain after graduation. Lower living costs and opportunities could help retain graduates, after which arts and culture could deepen a place’s character and attract wider communities.
“Abu Dhabi is doing it very, very well,” Reynolds said while discussing the combination of universities, an arts scene and culture. He said those elements could create “eccentricity” and help turn a place into a boom town.
His remarks came as Abu Dhabi expands its cultural infrastructure, particularly on Saadiyat Island. The district includes Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, while Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open on December 11.
Reynolds said communities that function successfully typically possess a strong sense of themselves, with identity and pride giving residents something shared to believe in. His comments placed culture alongside physical development as an element of liveability rather than treating it principally as entertainment.
The discussion with Tyler Brûlé, chairman and editorial director of Monocle, also examined the risks of excessive perfection in fast-growing cities. Brûlé argued that some of the most appealing urban environments derive their character from irregularity and surprise, citing Tokyo’s narrow side streets rather than only its grander spaces.
“You cannot lose, I think, the authenticity of what the place has,” Brûlé said, questioning whether qualities such as serendipity can be deliberately engineered.
Reynolds connected that argument to his own criticism of perfectionism. He described perfectionism as one of the damaging tendencies of modern culture and said creative work required accepting that people must first be willing to be bad at something before becoming good at it.
“You don’t finish a movie or a book that you’re writing. You abandon it,” he said, describing the point at which creative work has to be released rather than endlessly refined.
He also described himself primarily as a storyteller rather than a conventional actor. While working on the Deadpool films, Reynolds said, he could be performing while simultaneously considering camera placement, visual effects and possible changes to dialogue. That tendency to focus on several elements at once, he said, had helped him become less attached to perfection.
Reynolds drew on his experience as co-owner of Wrexham AFC to explain how community identity can develop without a rigid blueprint. He and Rob McElhenney took control of the Welsh football club in 2021, and Reynolds said their initial ambition was to help both the club and its community without knowing precisely how that would happen.
Listening, curiosity and allowing developments to occur organically helped residents feel seen, he said. Visitors now travel to Wrexham from across the United States, Canada and other countries, while the club has become a focal point for wider interest in the former coal and steel community.
Reynolds said investment in something that gives local people pride can allow other activity to develop around it. “The rest kind of grows,” he said. “It starts to take care of itself.”
The actor has an established connection with Abu Dhabi. His 2019 Netflix action film 6 Underground used locations across the emirate, and in 2024 he was named Yas Island Abu Dhabi’s Chief Island Officer for a destination campaign.
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