UPDATE: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively just celebrated the five-year anniversary of their groundbreaking initiative, the Group Effort Initiative, aimed at improving representation in Hollywood. The couple launched this mentorship and training program to support unrepresented communities, and it is making significant strides to change the industry landscape.
The Group Effort Initiative began with just eight trainees on the set of Reynolds’ 2020 Netflix film “The Adam Project” in Vancouver, Canada. Today, the program has expanded dramatically, providing 1,056 paid internships and facilitating 247 hires at major studios and production companies. In addition, it has created 365 on-set production assistant roles across 209 film and TV productions.
Reynolds expressed his initial anxieties about the program, stating, “When we saw those first eight trainees on set for ‘The Adam Project,’ it was clear something good was happening.” He emphasized the leap of faith that drove the initiative’s inception. Lively echoed similar sentiments, admitting, “I was worried … if we’d started with too many folks to allow enough of the vital one-on-one experience from their mentors.”
In the three years since formalizing its mentorship program, the Group Effort Initiative has successfully matched 640 mentors and mentees. The organization has also hosted numerous in-person and virtual educational events, solidifying its commitment to fostering talent and diversity in the industry.
The celebration included the release of a video highlighting the initiative’s accomplishments and future plans. Among the exciting developments is the introduction of the Adobe-sponsored Mid-Level Bootcamp, designed to equip participants with skills to progress from assistants to managerial roles. Reynolds stated, “We’re leveling up even more,” reinforcing the initiative’s goal of transforming industry access and mentorship into the norm.
Group Effort now operates in 20 cities and collaborates with over 550 company and pipeline partners, including industry giants like Netflix, Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery. This impressive growth highlights the urgent need for inclusivity in film and television production.
Lively articulated her vision for the future, saying, “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.” Reynolds added, “Inclusion shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should be built-in from the start.”
As the entertainment industry faces growing scrutiny over diversity and representation, the Group Effort Initiative stands out as a beacon of hope, actively reshaping the future of Hollywood. With continued support and expansion, Reynolds and Lively aim to ensure that access to mentorship becomes an integral part of the filmmaking process.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Group Effort Initiative as it continues to drive change and empower the next generation of filmmakers.