Ryan Reynolds thinks being a people-pleaser in Hollywood "doesn't work".

The 48-year-old actor made the claim during a John Candy: I Like Me event in Brooklyn, New York, where he recalled a "profound" musing he once heard from comedian Conan O'Brien.

Ryan explained: "He talks about people-pleasing and pleasers in Hollywood. And Bill Murray says it too. You just can't -- it doesn't work.

"And what I found really fascinating about that is ... being a people-pleaser is, quite literally, antithetical to having a mental-health crisis or issue."

Asked to elaborate, Ryan replied: "As a people-pleaser, you don't want to burden anyone with your anything."

Ryan acknowledged that it's tough for people-pleasers to survive and thrive in the movie business.

The film star - who is married to actress Blake Lively - reflected: "The only way out is to centre yourself, and to the people-pleaser that's [difficult]. So it's a paradox that is fascinating to me."

Ryan served as a co-producer on John Candy: I Like Me, the new documentary about the popular actor, who died in March 1994, aged 43. And Ryan recently explained that he knew Candy was battling anxiety before his death.

Speaking to People, Ryan continued: "I didn't need anyone to tell me that he did.

"I know I have some of those traits, and people-pleasing and mental health, they don't coexist very well together at all, because you never want to burden anybody else with anything. You never want to be a problem for anybody else."

Meanwhile, Ryan previously insisted that comedy acting is "very difficult".

The movie star took to social media to defend comedy actors, after he was paired with Andrew Garfield for Variety's Actors on Actors series.

An X user quipped in a now-deleted comment: "Andrew Garfield talking about playing a husband and father who's wife decides to forgo cancer treatment and Ryan Reynolds talking about playing Deadpool (sic)"

Ryan has enjoyed his biggest commercial success with the Deadpool film franchise, and the actor took to X to launch an impassioned defence of comedy actors, insisting that it's "also very difficult".

Ryan wrote on the micro-blogging platform: "Correct. Andrew's a genius. He and Florence are magic together in, WE LIVE IN TIME. They're heartbreaking and charming and spend the entire film in a high-wire act of humanity and constraint. And yes I am Deadpool BUT I will take a second and speak up in defense of comedy. Dramatic work is difficult. And we're also meant to SEE it's difficult which is one of the reasons it feels visceral and effective. Comedy is also very difficult. But has an added dimension in that it's meant to look and feel effortless. You intentionally hide the stitching and unstitching. (sic)"