Ryan Reynolds helps '21-year-old' celebrate 1st legal drink in leap year ad

Ryan Reynolds attends the premiere of Netflix's "6 Underground" at The Shed at Hudson Yards on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

TORONTO — Ryan Reynolds and his gin company have stepped in to help a “21-year-old” woman enjoy her first legal beverage in the U.S., despite the fact that she was born in 1936.

Arlene Manko has been alive for 84 years, but because she was born in a leap year on Feb. 29, 1936, she has only celebrated her actual birthday 21 times.

To mark the occasion of her 21st birthday on Feb. 29, Manko starred in a hilarious commercial for Reynolds’ company Aviation American Gin.

In the ad, which was posted on social media Friday, Reynolds explains in a voiceover that Manko has a birthday once every four years.

“I was technically five years old when I got married,” Manko says.

In his narration, Reynolds shares that on Saturday, Manko will turn 21 – the legal drinking age in the U.S.

“I had seven kids in 10 years. Do you think, sometimes, I didn’t want to drink?” she asks from her rocking chair.

The tongue-in-cheek ad then follows Manko as she takes a sip of gin for the first time.

“Holy Moses!” she exclaims in delight.

Reynolds then wishes the freshly minted adult a happy birthday before Manko rambles on that she’s never heard of the Canadian actor before.

“Ignore her. She’s been drinking,” Reynolds says.

The video appears to be a hit, racking up more than 2.7 million views and thousands of comments on Instagram since it was posted Friday.

In another post on the Aviation American Gin’s Twitter account, the company shared a screengrab of an email exchange between an employee and Reynolds.

“Can’t talk. Out partying with Arlene. Pray for me,” Reynolds responds in the email.