“I CHANGED a diaper the other day that was so bad I thought we’d have to move to another town”, declares Ryan Reynolds of the joys of fatherhood. “I opened the diaper and there were gang signs in there.”

His little bundle of joy is 14-month-old daughter James (named after his father) who he is raising with wife Blake Lively.

“I love being a dad, I always knew I’d love it, the tough stuff as well the easy stuff. My wife and I are pretty hands on with it all and we wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. “I hope she inherits Blake’s sincerity and my unblinking violence and sarcasm. I want her to be able to defend herself.”

Clearly, becoming a parent is one of life’s major turning points. Reynolds offers, “Yes, the birth of my child was a big moment and I can certainly can speak for my wife that it was a big moment for her. Another turning point was my father dying. That is always a big moment for any young man and I think it really starts to put a lot of things in perspective that weren’t in perspective before.”

Reynolds is in Los Angeles to promote Deadpool, in which he plays the title role and also serves as producer. For those unversed in the Deadpool universe, he is an anti super hero who’s disfigured, mentally unstable, terminally ill and has an irreverent sense of humour.

It’s a perfect vehicle for Reynolds whose own brand of funny is decidedly politically incorrect.

“Deadpool has this corrosive, acerbic wit. And I grew up in a family with three older brothers so I had to rely on my mouth more than I could rely on my fists. So I cultivated these certain aspects of my personality that I can turn on and off. And in interviews like this I try to keep it contained and answer questions normally.” He deadpans. “But when I put the big, red body condom on, (referring to his Deadpool outfit) it’s go time!”

What did Lively thing of his rather snug-fitting costume?

“Oh, my wife is not going to complain about too tight,” he laughs. “She is fine with that. She’s great, she loved it. My baby didn’t. When she saw the scar makeup, she just cried. She heard my voice, but I looked like a deep fried testicle. It was very, very tough for her.”

He met Lively on the set of The Green Lantern in 2010 when he was married to Scarlett Johansson. Their short-lived union ended the same year and he and Lively were married less than two years later.

“We had a nice simple proposal. I am not going to get into too many details but I think I did a little bit better than a ring pop. And I removed almost nothing from my ass,” he says, reverencing the movie.

Reynolds clearly relishes his new role as family man. “We all spend tons of time together. I especially love the mornings with my daughter wakes up laughing. It’s really cool, and so Blake and I don’t work at the same time ever now. If I am shooting she is with me and the baby and if she is shooting, I am with her with the baby.”

It seems there’s nothing Reynolds won’t do for love. “Yes, I have committed minor felonies for my wife,” he admits. “She’s a foodie and she’s obsessed with these apple pies from Vancouver,” he explains.

“I’m an actor, I work in Hollywood and this border guard was clearly expecting methamphetamine but what he didn’t know is that I had this little pie and I was determined to get it across the border into the US. But he certainly made me sing for my supper. He was a big fan of the movie Just Friends, and in the closing credits I’m wearing this heavy duty prosthetic fat guy makeup. And I sing All 4 One’s I Swear,” he laughs.

“And he just thought that was the funniest thing in the world. He knew something was up in my car and he said, ‘I loved Just Friends, I loved that last song.’ I said, 'that’s great.’ And he said, ‘Go ahead. Sing it.’ So it was dance monkey time, and I sang for him, he let me go and I enjoyed a delicious apple pie on the other side.”

It wasn’t the first time the Canadian-born actor committed an immigration crime. “When I was 18 years old, I snuck over the border to Los Angeles. I was scared shit-less. It was terrifying,” he says. “So yeah, sue me. I have a Green Card now.”

Reynolds isn’t ashamed of his man crushes and it seems Hugh Jackman (who inadvertently makes a cameo in Deadpool) is number one on his list.

“Well, yeah. Have you seen this man? He was chiselled out of one piece of mahogany!”

With his wife being such a fan of the Deadpool costume, has he ever worn the red body condom to bed?

“You saucy minx, you!” he laughs. “That is absolutely inappropriate and the answer is, ‘Yes! She loves it!’ In fact, I can’t even make love unless I am in the suit now.” He deadpans. “Where do you think our daughter came from?”