Ryan Reynolds has insisted Martha Stewart calling him "not so funny" off-screen is an "incredibly valid observation"

Ryan has now told The Hollywood Reporter about her light-hearted dig: "I don't think what happened was designed to hurt anyone.

"That was just an incredibly valid observation that someone made.

"Lots of people would say I'm very serious if they met me.

"I can't imagine entering any room in which I don't intimately know the people, where I suddenly kind of turn on and perform.

"But why would people ever assume the way they see you on camera is how you're going to be in real life? Right? You're just a person.

"But I do it, too. "I'm a fan of people and I love certain people's work, and I'm thinking when I meet them, I want to see little glimpses of that."

Ryan also stressed "you're in trouble" if you are incapable of taking a "punch" in showbiz.

Marth had said during an appearance on Bilt Rewards' 'Rent Free' game show: "You want to know something? (Ryan's) not so funny in real life.

"No, he's not so funny. He's very serious... he's a good actor.

"He can act funny, but he isn't funny. Maybe he can get to be funny again.

"I'm going to get in trouble. He's my neighbour."

Ryan and his actress wife Blake Lively, 37, own a $2 million home in Bedford, New York, near Martha's 153-acre property. Martha became friends with the couple as soon as they bought their house in her neighbourhood.

She told the HuffPost in 2014: "(Blake) moved into my neighbourhood a couple of years ago with Ryan - before they got married they bought a house right around the corner from my house.

"And they started to come over, not to borrow sugar, but just as friends.

"They're very friendly, very nice people. In a way, kind of shy - not shy on the screen, at all, if you've seen any of Blake's movies - but very shy in person."