Ryan Reynolds defends comedy movies & acting after being mocked over inclusion in “Actors On Actors” series

Ryan Reynolds came to the defense of comedy movies and performances after he was mocked over an interview series on acting.

Last Updated on December 9, 2024

Variety’s annual Actors on Actors series is usually a great opportunity to hear some of our favorite stars chat about the craft. But this year has been more problematic that ever before. First Sebastian Stan said he couldn’t participate because nobody wanted to talk politics; now, Ryan Reynolds has been forced to defend an entire genre because of some outcry over the drama over comedy hierarchy.

Ryan Reynolds joined Andrew Garfield – who recently starred in drama We Live in Time – for an installment, which you’d think would be a fun chance to get Deadpool and Spider-Man in the same room but ended up causing issues with at least one online loudmouth. While the user’s X post is inaccessible now, Variety noted that it read, “Andrew Garfield talking about playing a husband and father who’s wife decides to forgo cancer treatment and Ryan Reynolds talking about playing Deadpool.”

With this, Ryan Reynolds came not only to the defense of Andrew Garfield but the comedy genre as a whole. Replying directly to the user, he wrote: “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.”

Ryan Reynolds continued his post by demonstrating that not only is comedy often misunderstood as an artform but it’s also entirely a matter of taste. “I think both disciplines are beautiful. And both work beautifully together. Comedy and drama subsist on tension. Both thrive when subverting expectation. Both thrive backstopped by real emotion. And both are deeply subjective. Your favourite comedy might be Anchorman. Mine might be Lars Von Trier’s, Melancholia.” Now that’s subjective!

Look, we know Ryan Reynolds has his haters who think he’s just a one-trick pony (at least he’s not as scary as the We Live in Time one!) and whose comedy may be growing tired, but the guy has a point here. What’s the reason for even bothering to compare two entirely different performances in two entirely different movies in this sort of setting? Drama, comedy, whatever it is, let’s all just be grateful that the actors are taking part. You can see their episode on December 9th.