Ryan Phillippe

Overview

Ryan Phillippe was born on September 10, 1974 in New Castle, Delaware, to Susan (Thomas), a nurse, and Richard Phillippe, a chemical technician. He has three sisters, Kirsten, Lindsay, and Katelyn, and attended New Castle Baptist Academy. Ryan's acting career began with the soap opera One Life to Live (1968). It was no small role. His character, Billy Douglas, was US daytime television's first gay teenager. Billy struggled with coming out issues and the town's anti-gay reactions. After several other television appearances and he began appearing in movies of his own, Nowhere (1997), White Squall (1996) I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Cruel Intentions (1999), Crash (2005), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and Stop-Loss (2008).
- IMDb mini biography by: Leonard Tran <tranlw01@wfu.edu>

Black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Turned down the role of Anakin Skywalker, because of the age difference between Natalie Portman and himself.
Son, Deacon Reese, was named for his distant relative, Charles Louis "Deacon" Phillipe, who pitched and won the first World Series game ever, in 1903, beating Cy Young, as well as for Hall of Fame football player Deacon Jones. (Reported on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), 18 May 2005).
He pronounces his surname "Fill-lip-pay", which he prefers, he does not like the "Fill-leep" or "Fill-lip-pee" pronunciations.
Has 3 children: daughter, Ava Phillippe (b. September 9, 1999) & son, Deacon Phillippe (b. October 23, 2003) with ex-wife, Reese Witherspoon and daughter, Kailani Knapp (b. July 1, 2011) with ex-girlfriend, Alexis Knapp.

(On working and being with Reese Witherspoon on the film Cruel Intentions (1999)): It was great. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Not only personally but professionally. She was an asset to the movie and we begged her to do it. She didn't have as colorful a role as Sarah's and mine, but she did an amazing job. Really elevated the piece.
(On starting a family with Reese): "It just makes so many other things insignificant. It is the most incredible thing that has happened to me, and I feel so lucky to have found the person I want to be with, and to be prepared and enthusiastic."
(About his daughter, Ava): She is a relief from all the stress in my life; everyday she does something new and it is so amazing.
Music is my greatest love. If I could play an instrument I would be a musician.
I have good taste, that's the one thing I'm cocky about.