The Ryan Reynolds Group Effort Initiative, launched five years ago by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, has reached a significant milestone after half a decade of fostering diversity in Hollywood. Starting as a small training initiative on the set of Reynolds’ 2020 Netflix film in Vancouver, the program aimed to broaden behind-the-scenes representation and has grown into a robust force for inclusion across the entertainment industry.
Origins of the Training Program and Early Challenges
The Group Effort Initiative was born out of a desire to transform the behind-the-camera landscape in Hollywood. Reynolds and Lively began their Program with eight trainees, providing both paid work and accommodations during production for The Adam Project. Their focus was to give members of underrepresented communities meaningful access to industry experience. Reflecting on those first days, Ryan Reynolds shared,
“When we saw those first eight trainees on set for ‘The Adam Project,’ it was clear something good was happening,”
Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Co-Founder.
“I left plenty of room for it to backfire and I still think about the feeling in the pit of my stomach and the blind faith it can take to just leap.”
Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Co-Founder.
Blake Lively also described her initial concerns about the program’s scale, stating,
“I was worried because I’d advocated for 8 to 12 trainees and wondered if we’d started with too many folks to allow enough of the vital one-on-one experience from their mentors. But it felt like it found its rhythm halfway through the first week.”
Blake Lively, Co-Founder.
Expanding Reach and Measurable Impact
Since its inception, the Ryan Reynolds Group Effort Initiative has placed more than 1,000 paid interns on sets and within corporate environments. The organization has facilitated 247 hires at studios and production companies, and 365 on-set production assistant positions spanning 209 different film and television projects. Over the past three years, a formal mentorship program has paired 640 mentors with mentees, underscoring the initiative’s long-term commitment to professional development.
The organization has further extended its influence by hosting numerous in-person and virtual educational events, helping participants gain practical knowledge. Today, Group Effort operates in 20 cities with over 550 company and pipeline partners. This network includes major players such as Netflix, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, Hollywood CPR, and Manifest Works.
Five-Year Milestone and New Training Efforts
To celebrate its five-year anniversary, Group Effort released a video highlighting its progress and unveiling future plans. Among them is the Adobe-sponsored Mid-Level Bootcamp, a program designed to help participants transition from assistant roles to management and creative leadership positions. Ryan Reynolds said in the video,
“teaching participants the skills to go from assistant to managers, directors and beyond.”
Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Co-Founder.
Reynolds emphasized their ongoing commitment, stating, We’re leveling up even more. The organization’s broader mission is to see representation and active mentorship become standard practice in Hollywood’s production landscape, not a rare exception.
The Initiative’s Vision for Inclusion in Hollywood
Group Effort seeks to set a precedent in how the entertainment industry approaches access and mentorship, both within film and television and beyond. Lively shared her hopes for the long-term impact:
“What I’d love to see is an industry where access and mentorship are a normal part of how things get made – and where that idea can expand beyond just film and television.”
Blake Lively, Co-Founder.
“The real goal is for the people who came through Group Effort to become the ones making the decisions, bringing others in and continuing the change. That’s when we’ll know it’s really working.”
Blake Lively, Co-Founder.
Ryan Reynolds reiterated the core philosophy of the program, stressing that inclusive practices foster creativity and growth:
“Inclusion shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be built-in from the start. It isn’t charity. It’s a means to be better at the job and expand capabilities across the entire creative landscape.”
Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Co-Founder.
With hundreds of partners and a growing roster of graduates, Group Effort continues to change who gets access to Hollywood jobs and how talent is fostered for the long term. The next phase includes further expansion, new training efforts, and an ambition to establish representation and mentorship as an industry norm, not an exception.
