SmartLess - "Ryan Reynolds"

Episode Date: July 19, 2021

The super-handsome, ultra-talented, and mildly-funny Ryan Reynolds joins us this week on the show. We go deep with the double-R, from stocking shelves label-out, to vulnerability as a performer and business owner… while touching on his “humanitarian efforts” diving for Melo Melo pearls that he bedazzles his new line of toe-loop sandals with. It’s another naughty shipwreck on the S.S. SmartLess. Welcome aboard!Please support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello listener, my name is Jason Bateman. I am one of three hosts on Smart List. The other two are late, as they are one to do. I am prompt and I am also a fan of stone fruit. You might not know what stone fruit is, but it is a peach, a plum, a cherry, a nectarine. Things with stones in the middle of it. And right now, listener, they're glorious

and they are well in stock at your local market. You think I'm kidding, but the serenity in my voice right now is prompted by the incredible fleshy stone fruits I've had in the last half hour. Welcome to Smart List. Smart, less, smart, less, smart, less. Go ahead, John. I was just gonna ask you, so you listen to Italian rap.

Sure. And that's like a real thing. Yeah, I listened to Italian rap. I listened to French rap. Well, because you can understand French, but I don't think you speak Italian. I don't speak Italian. I wish I did.

So why, what's the draw? The draw is it's about a lifestyle. Well, hip hop, no matter where it is, is about a lifestyle, Sean, so cool it. And I can tell by the way you look that you really, you understand that. Put it this way, you see me on a scooter in downtown Naples rolling with my crew.

Can I ask you an honest question? Ask me anything you want. My hair, my hat. I always wear a hat. No, it was about me. Oh, sorry. How would I look with a neck tattoo? To me, no different than you look now.

No different. Jason, we're rolling. Sorry, sorry, that was a long walk. Oh, I guess so, from one wing to the other. We're rolling. We're rolling right now. You're on the show right now, Jason. Yeah, you're a little late, Jason.

Well, do you ever wear like long sleeve shirts? You're always in a T-shirt, always every 20,000. Well, I'm in a climate-controlled house. Do you not have climate? What's going on? Are you just exposed to the elements? We can be in a world with,

Thoreau could be the third leg on this tripod and we'd have to deal with no sleeves at all. Can you imagine? Jason, are you having a coffee? Is that what your beverage is? Yeah, and I think it's a little late for the coffee. I get more irritable than usual. The later I drink coffee, but I'm gonna try it.

And it's late right now. I know, and I get all sweaty. Well, we have a guest here. Wait a second, we're rolling? Yeah, we got a guest here. There's some guys. Our guest is, so I don't know, it's tough to describe our guest

because this person does so many things. Our guest started on a show that might be close to your heart. I'm not sure, a show called Hillside. Four Seasons. Hillside Blues? Four Seasons on Hillside. I think in this country it was called 15.

It's one of those shows that had different names in different countries. But American person? Well, this person is a person you, is not an American person. This is a person who lives in America. But this is a person who, well, strangely enough, comes from just north of the border, where I'm from.

Oh, so it's one of three people. So this person's an entrepreneur. This person is a visionary. Oh boy. Is a business visionary. He's got his hands in mobile phones. He's got his hands in the booze industry. He's now got his hands in Welsh football.

This is a guy. Oh, for God's sake. This is Brian Reynolds. And this is your buddy, Brian. Oh my gosh. Look at him. Oh, he's gone. I hadn't even gotten to his looks yet.

He is too hot for a podcast. It's Brian Reynolds. Oh, oh, oh. We're sleeves today, guys. Now, Ryan, in week one of this COVID baby, we call smartless. I think I sent you a text that said, listen, I know you love to do podcasts.

So we're happy to accommodate you. It was a sarcastic sort of passive-aggressive pitch that never heard back from you. Yeah, a little bit of a fucking pandemic, Bateman. But shit was going on. I was batting down the hatches. Appropriate response. Appropriate response.

By the way, I'm still hung up on hillside blues, picturing me and Dennis Frans as a couple of angsty teenagers going through puberty together. Don't skirt the issue here. So I get a no. I don't even get a no. I just get a no response. But you say yes, Tarnat.

You and I are so much closer to fucking will in you. Let me reset the table here. Can I reset the table? This will be quick. It better probably back up. You guys just wait. I have never been in a room, virtual or otherwise, with three people who have at many points in my life,

caused me to fall over, weeping with laughter. This is one of the, this is a moment. We're after a great start. Each one of you guys. Take your time. That's very nice. Have made a adult diaper requisite wardrobe for me to watch. Go around the table.

Go around the table. Go around visually. Guys, no, truly. Let him finish. Bateman was the first person when I moved to Los Angeles that was kind to me that I found that was kind. I was 18 years old. And I had just, just hairless, freshly waxed eyebrows

were exquisite and got to Los Angeles. I ended up in this manager's office that would never in a million years take me. But in walks, Jason Bateman, and just out of nowhere, asked me where I'm from, what I'm doing here. I think I said, Hey friend. And I started with, Hey friend. He could see my soul visibly exiting my body.

He always talks to wandering teens. That's always been one of his. It really is the hallmark of a truly dynamic predator. Hey, hairless, vulnerable, innocent looking friend. Come this way. What brings you to the office? You look like you could use a ride. But he was, no, he did not,

he did not drive a panel van nor did he offer me any candy whatsoever. So Bateman was kind to you. So Bateman spoke to you and you knew him at that point from all is from the teens. Of course, Jason Bateman. Is Jason Bateman. Ryan, Ryan, did you move out here cold?

I mean, did you, did you have a reason to move out or did you just move out to be an actor? He was coming off hillside, otherwise known as 15. Coming off hillside blues. Yeah, wait, wait, wait, what is hillside and where, what is the game? Me and Lawrence Pressman, you know, smashing it together.

Just throwing out all the fun, going deep cuts on the, on the. Now listen, Ryan, do you remember the first time we met? I remember very well. The first time we met in person. Do you remember? Start to nod politely. Where was that?

It was at a gym. Oh, in Equinox and Santa Monica. Thank you very much. Equinox and Santa Monica. Yep. And you know what my thought was? I was in there just, I was moving some weight around. And obviously I'm no stranger to a gym

and we don't need to get into that. I'll say. Yeah. Move some weight around. Why don't you shut the hell up? So I'm in there and I'm feeling, I'm feeling kind of good about myself. Sure you are.

And old Brian Reynolds as Dax likes to call him to his face, which always makes me laugh because it's just not funny. And I do it too. Ryan comes in and I'm like, this motherfucker is so handsome and he's so strong and I look like it. I like pretty quickly like,

I'm gonna put these 20s down and I'm just gonna leave. He was actually only in ankle weights. Will was wearing nothing but ankle weights. But Ryan, what about my question? Did you, did you move to LA to be, what was my question? Did you actually move because you had an offer for something or did you move to start a career here?

No, I mean, I was working at Safeway grocery store at the time in Vancouver. I didn't even quit. I just, I just left. Went on break. I'd gone to college. I'm not making this up for 45 minutes. I walked in and I just went, nope.

And I went right back, pulled one more all night shift at Safeway and then the next day just got in my car and drove to Los Angeles. What department at Safeway? Yeah, exactly. Will you check out or will you box boy or? No, I did train as a cashier, but I was actually stocking shelves midnight to eight AM.

I was working on a graveyard shift. Yeah. Facing out all the growth. So everything is perfectly smooth and flat. Yeah. Make it. Do you ever like just open a box of cereal and just house it when nobody was looking?

No, most of the time it's food fights. I mean, some of the people I worked with at Safeway, there's a graveyard shift at Safeway at 25th and Oak. They know who they are. Some of the funniest human beings. I bet. That I've ever been around. Some big laughs.

I bet you had some huge laughs. I'm not joking. Are you still friends with any of your coworkers there? I don't keep in touch with men. I kept friends with a lot of people that I went to high school with, but like that was an odd group because we only saw each other

in the pitch black midnight hours. All coked up and stacking. Oh God, yeah. All glued up. Stacking and pricing. So are you really still friends with, even if you're friends with five friends from high school, I admire that.

I wish I was better at that. I'm still in touch with my high school girlfriend who's now married with three kids. I'm in touch with one of my best friends, Peter Zurbinos, that I went to school with my whole life since Little League, I basically know him. Ryan, Ryan, this is, be honest, and she won't hear this, high school girlfriend.

How hard is she kicking herself right now? I mean, do you think it's... I think she married a surgeon. She's doing all right. Oh, she married, okay. And she herself is a prolific educator. She's doing really well. She's really barely.

Does the surgeon have a back on him like you do? My God, yes. That guy had thighs like Earl Campbell. I mean, he was just an absolute shredder on the football field. Did he steal her from you? No, he did not. No, we were together in 10th grade

and broke up in 11th grade. And they got together after that. Relationships run hot in 10th. Right, sure do. Yeah, sure do. I was too busy working with Dennis Friends. Yeah. Wait, when you got here,

like tell us because I love little origin stories like from actors because I did the same thing. I just got in my car. I've never even been here before. You never driven a car. Yeah, hang on a second. What kind of car did you rock out here from? A Toyota Corolla.

A Toyota Corolla. And let me tell you something really quick story. When I got the pilot of Will and Grace, they had a kickoff dinner and I drove my Corolla and the only place that you could park it was to valet at this one restaurant. And I was so embarrassed because the window was out, the hubcap was missing.

All that was disgusting. The car was dense everywhere and I made sure I got there before everybody else. I went in and had a dinner with the cast of Will and Grace and Jimmy Burroughs and everybody. And I'm so embarrassed. I didn't want them to see me get the valet when I got out.

So I left early. I was like, guys, I'm sorry, I gotta get up early. Bye. I got up to the valet. Still waiting for my car. And one by one is taking forever. One by one, everybody else comes out. Now we're all standing in a line

and my fucking car pulls up, first one. And I go, what did you do to my car? Or run, run, run, run. First of all, it wasn't a Corolla. It was not a Toyota Corolla. Sean, how quickly were you trying to pull off your co-exist bumper? Cause you've always,

Yeah, right. Cause you believe co-exist. I drew, I drove a similar sensible sedan for years. Even after I had a TV show, I remember I kept my little Nissan Sentra and was just covered in Ross the hubca. Same thing. It was, it wasn't even a car.

It was just like millions of wasps fucking. Like this car was just like absolute like danger to two of the bottom was out. And you just moved it with your feet, like Fred Flynn's down. So Ryan, so you move here and you had done a show. You've done a sort of like a YA show for a few years. And that was like your first big kind of-

That's young adult for Wisconsin. Young adult. And then, and then, so you move here and then you get two guys, a girl, originally known as two guys, a girl in a pizza place. That which they dropped the pizza place. Great show. Great show.

Great show. And I remember seeing you on that show. I remember auditioning for that show. I remember- Come on. Did you get it? Did you get it? Yeah, I think I did get it.

Yeah. I think we did. I forget how many seasons. Well, Ryan, I'll tell you. I think four and a half seasons ago. Yeah, we did like four seasons ago. But Ryan, I remember how, and this is no joke, how funny you were.

It was undeniable. You're such a funny- I watched that show all the time. I thought you were hilarious. The timing is like a Swiss watch. His timing is impeccable. Like a surgeon. Here's what I want to know, Ryan.

And the reason I bring this up is this. Because you've gone on, you've had, I think, a super interesting career. And I think that you've always, no matter what, you're always good in everything you do. And everybody does things that sometimes they don't, you know, I remember somebody describing a movie, a bad movie.

You're like, well, I thought we were going over here. Oh, we're going over here. There are certain things that are out of your control. What you can control is you're always really, really good. And I've always thought you were super funny. Like Bayman said, your timing is incredible. I feel like you are depriving the world of more just pure comedy.

Look, I love seeing you in the action stuff. I love seeing you kick ass. And you do bring humor to those parts. But fuck man, you could absolutely crush pure comedy. I think you're so fucking funny. Where he's going with this is, please do another sitcom is where the question is. Well, I would love to do another sitcom.

Best job I've ever had in my life. I know everyone here has had their, you know, it really is the greatest job in the world. Absolutely. Reasonable hours, live audience, you know, fun. You get to improv. And the reason I moved to answer Sean's question was to move to Los Angeles was to join the Groundlings,

which as a, you know, 18 year old moron, I thought I could just show up there and they would put me on the stage. And the Groundlings is like second city. It's an improv kind of trip. We're a Saturday night live. Are you telling that to Ryan? He moved here to go away.

No, I'm telling it to him. Why are you explaining it to him? Did you get into Groundlings? No, they were like, of course not. They were like, he got to get in his class. You can't, I was like, I don't have enough money to sit in the class. I need to make some dough.

So you're in the class at Groundlings. How are you, what's your day job? Did you go to Albertsons and Vaughns and say, hey, I got a pretty good tenure. Pretty swell CV going here, guys. I know how to work a manual forklift like no, I know how to close a wound with crazy glue like no one else. Did you, what was your first day job out here?

I had no day job because I had no work permit. So I couldn't just walk into any place and Will knows this, he can't just walk. So you have to, you need a work permit. So actually I went looking for an agent to see if I could get sent out on a couple of auditions and maybe that way they would sponsor me. And that's when you met Teen Wolf too?

Well, that's exactly when I met Teen Wolf too. Come on, really? That was it? I know I'd just been rejected from the Groundlings and the next day I met you. And then when I met Jason, Did he got hit on by a weirdo? No, he saw the look of pure unadulterated panic in my face.

And he asked whoever it was at that management company, my number and left me a voice. This is back when you had answering machines. He left me an answering machine message. Just saying, hey, if you ever need anything, here's my number. I know you saw you. Are you serious?

Is that true? I could get arrested for that nowadays. That is a random act of kindness right there. That sounds nice. I'm like anything else. Jason. But I've known this guy for a long time and this is something he does though.

He doesn't like to admit it or talk about it but Jason Bateman has got a wake of decades of random acts of kindness. Oh no, no, no. He has such a squishy center to him. And Ryan, I told this, what was it a couple of months ago, Sean, when I hurt my back and Jason showed up with like stuff for my, came to the house,

just showed up unannounced. And he's got like stuff for my back and all this kind of, and very, very sweet. So that doesn't surprise me. Does freak me out a little. Freaks you out when I said, but the deal is I need to apply it. I'd like to.

This is the back pad. I have like 25 things aching on me right now and wrong with my body and Jason sent over Nia Sporen, but not in person. Wow. And a bill, an invoice. How is your shoulder, Sean? I heard you have a rotten shoulder.

I do. How do you know that? I listen to the podcast. Oh yeah. I have a bad shoulder. I don't respond to Bateman's text about it, but I listen to it. Yeah.

What about, now what about speaking to the pot? What about McLeaney and you owning a, I'll say it, football team. Soccer. Football club. A Welsh football club. Welsh, sorry, Welsh. And you're doing, and you're going to do,

you're going to do a two year documentary, like following you guys around the trials and tribulations of propping this team up to the next level. Yes. To a certain degree. Yeah. It's not so much about, we're not really centered in it as much.

I mean, we're in it, but it's really about this community in this town. Yeah. You know, there's sort of what I found interesting about this particular type of football team is that they're inextricably linked with the community. So when the football team is suffering, so is the community.

The community is suffering, so is the football team. So if you can find a way to kind of interconnect these two and raise them both up simultaneously, it's such an amazing, has amazing and a profound effect and a win-win for everybody. So we, we love the idea of, you know, sort of splitting our focus

between community and the football club. You've seen Sunderland until I die, obviously. I think I've seen every single football documentary ever made at the football club. Yeah, same, same. I think you always need a face man and like nobody can replace your face, man. But, you know.

God, that was great. You see what he just did, guys? Thank you. Go ahead and rewind that listener. That was an A team reference as well. Just, you and Rob are gonna need somebody on the ground. And look, I've got a full-time job. All I'm saying is, imagine a guy.

We're losing you, Will. You going over a can? Yeah. Who can go in there. Imagine somebody who could inspire, who can pull up lyrics, whether they be Smash Mouth or Thumbnawumba. Or Italian rap.

Or Italian rap. You heard, oh yeah, of course. You heard me talking about an Italian rap. I love. And dren dren, by the way, sorry, why dren dren? I love, like I was saying, I love origin stories and your story when you first arrived to Los Angeles. And so talk to us about the kind of,

when you got here and you said you got an agent, was hoping to find another couple jobs. But like, when did it start taking off? Was two girls and a guy the first kind of big thing that kind of led to other things? And when did that chip kind of turn on in your head that's like, wait a minute, I have to leverage all of this right now

in order to create a clear mind. Two girls, you know what I mean? Hang on a second. You're conflating two separate jobs that he did. Two girls and a guy was something that he's trying to expunge. Two guys, a girl and a pizza joint. You're referencing a skin flick in Upper Saskatchewan

that he's still running from. So we'll erase that from the record. Two guys and a girl. Skin flick. My mom was saying. So currently we have four, total of four guys. How many pizza places do we have? What the fuck was the question?

Oh, the two guys, a girl and a pizza place, yeah. When you were on that show, is that when something clicked inside of you that said, you know, I have to figure this out so this doesn't go away. And it became this drive, this ambition that you have to, because an actor is only, you know, we thrive on our next job, we're always looking for our next gig.

And I know when I was on Will and Grace, I was like, okay, God, I'm on the show. I have to make sure I keep working now because that's what I've always wanted to do. I want to be an actor. So did that click in for you when you were on that show? Because you're so successful now in everything in so many different areas.

When did that start? No, I didn't, I mean, thank you, but I never had any. I was the very fortunate beneficiary of having zero expectations. So when I moved to Los Angeles, I wanted to join the Growlings. I didn't expect that I'd ever end up on a sitcom. And if I could get, I remember when I went

and met this little agency in Los Angeles called the Paul Conor Agency. Oh yeah. I said, if you just send me out on five auditions, I swear to God, I will get one. Five sitcoms, I said. And they said, okay, sure. And I was just bluffing.

I didn't think I'd actually get one, but I ended up getting this one. Two guys go on a pizza place. And I, my highest aspiration was to play the wacky neighbor, you know, on like a, on a, what was that? What was the predecessor to the CW? It was the UPN network. UPN, yeah.

I was hoping to get as the wacky neighbor on like the UPN network. That's where my expectation was. And that's still a pretty, coming from where I came from, there's a pretty high expectation, you know? So the fact that I got on that show, and it was one of the lead roles. And then I just learned so much as I went.

And I've always kind of maintained that sort of minimal expectation thing, which has served me really well. You know? What was your state of mind? So you do two guys, a girl, a pizza place, they dropped the pizza place. Obviously a lot of meetings went into that. They dropped that.

And there's just two guys, a girl. And then, and then you, that show ends after four years, I think, is that right? Four and a half years. Four and a half years, the show ends. It initially comes out, it's a huge hit. So it's a big hit, blah, blah, blah. And then shows happen, things happen.

So then all of a sudden it's like 2000, I don't know, one or two or something when it ends, I think. I think I got that right. I've tracked your career for a long time, right? And so you find yourself, you're 2001, 2002, you're at Equinox a lot in Santa Monica, and I know, because I see you. And you're there and you do, but you kind of shift.

You do Van Wilder. Is that what it's called for, for Lampoon? Right, definitely worth a rewatch listener. Yeah, another movie that would like, it's not necessarily the greatest movie, but you're really good in that you get a lot of accolades for people, again, they point out, but where did you think you were headed coming off the show?

It's a very tricky time in an actor's life, as you know, when you come off a show, and kind of like what Sean is saying, you come off a show and you're like, oh shit, now what? Where, what were you thinking? Did you in your wildest dreams think, I'm gonna become this? Your Van Wildest.

Yeah, great, really nice, Sean. Thanks, man, it's great. But what was that, was it just day to day? Could you did Van Wilder, and then you did these Blade movies where people were like, oh my God, this guy's like an action star as well. Did you have a plan for any of that,

or were you just, could you have imagined that you would achieve the success? You guys have plans? I don't have, I don't know. I was too dumb for a plan, but. Me too, my plan was to just keep this fucking heart beating. That was kind of it. I didn't, I mean, I had no, when I was doing movies,

I was still looking for another TV show. Like my real focus was on my father's son, like, you know, Lunch Pale actor, like I need another, like a job that I know will last. This movie thing is stupid, you know? So yeah, I was always looking in front of the show. I was always trying to get back into sitcom. I think I still am.

Well, but I'll bet you, I mean, you're just, you're too skilled and experienced now, and clear on, I think, where you wanna go, and what you're capable of doing, that at some point, you absorbed enough information and knowledge on a set to start to shape an appropriate and realistic kind of path for yourself. Like you're clearly enjoying being an entrepreneur,

a producer, a star, a writer. So at some point, it started to crystallize a bit for you what you were capable of doing and what your opportunities might be if you really applied yourself, dedicated yourself to it, and treated yourself to being worthy of it, you know, in the best sense of the word. I think everyone here on this podcast can relate.

You know, nothing good was ever made without enthusiasm. Sure. And I think that when you are a fan, like a genuine fan of so many people, and you really absorb a lot of what these masters are doing, and I consider you guys all masters as well. I just, you know, you start to want to create your own thing, you know, and I just feel like that eventually,

I got to a place where I would say it wasn't until my mid 30s, where I really understood that like, you can't be great at something unless you're willing to be bad at it. And it just freed me in a way that like, I don't think I'd ever experienced before. It really genuinely freed me up, and amazing things started happening.

I mean, a movie I've been trying to get made for 10 years, Deadpool finally gets made, and like, that changes my life, and then we build sort of on that, and then I can start a marketing company and continue to tell stories, and I just, you know, I think it's important. I will say as a compliment to you,

and you could plug your ears if you don't want to hear it, but from working with you and knowing you, I know that that enthusiasm slash ambition comes not only from just wanting to accomplish things with your life, but it really comes from an appreciation and a respect for the people that you work with, and that you observe in this business. Like you have a clear appreciation for the opportunity

and access that you have, and all of the work of the people around you. Like you have a very clear sense that it is teamwork, this business, it's not solo stuff, and you're just, it's really admirable how... You seem pretty optimistic. Graceful you are with people that you work with, you're just your kind leader.

You get how hard people work around you. Well, I love working with people. I love collaborating. You got great skin. Beautiful skin. Thank you. Dewey skin, I sort of phrase it like that, but it's...

It's very dewey. You know, as somebody like, I consider myself an optimistic person, as Downey always says, nobody wakes up in the morning happy or be himself more than you. And it's true. But you do seem like you're an optimistic guy

and that you do have a great sort of positive look on life. And in any encounter I've ever had with you, it's never different. If I see you doing, you're in a movie, or you're promoting something or talking, or you're talking on the street, you're the same guy, and you do exude that sort of positive energy.

But are there things that get you... Like you must have things that sort of seep in like... What pisses you off? What pisses you off? When does it get dark? You know what pisses me off? Yeah, what pisses you off? No, no, I mean, I have a patchwork quilt

of pitch black night within me. That is, you know, I mean, of course, we all have that. It's like a... It keeps me warm at night. Yeah, you know that big hole with teeth in Star Wars? That is my soul. No one's heard from Blake for over 48 hours, guys.

No, no, no, I ate her. Gently brazed, medium heat. And to that point, right, I have like a question about this kind of motivation positivity thing, and it's about the Green Lantern, because now that I'm speaking to you, you know, it's so funny. I was in Atlanta shooting the Three Stooges movie.

I go walk over to go see... With my friend Craig Villarco. Craig Villarco is hilarious. I love him. Yeah, very funny person. So I walk over to this mall on a day off to go see the Green Lantern. And when I walk into the mall

to go see the Green Lantern, there's Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds shooting the change-up. Oh, yeah. And I walk in the middle of the... Right. Isn't that crazy? That was the FIPS, the FIPS Plaza or Lennox?

Yeah, and we were reshooting, I think. I think you're right. And I walked right in the middle of the scene. I was like, hey, what's up, guys? And you were like, oh, God, this is it. Yeah, I do too. And I was like, oh my God, I'm going upstairs to watch your movie right now,

the Green Lantern, you're like, good luck. And I think I warned you. I said, don't do it. Don't do it. Save your tickets, don't. Don't do it. And you, $12 plus popcorn. You made kind of this, like you're doing now,

a public admission that it didn't kind of maybe work out the way you had hoped, right? There's even that hilarious bit at the end of Deadpool. We have that script, it's so funny. So forget about like Hollywood for a second and share with us like how someone might be in a similar position somewhere in life professionally, that was a part of something that didn't meet expectations

or how they wanted. And so what was the drive or the path to say, okay, this didn't work, but we're going to go bigger and make the best thing more successfully. Was it something inside of you that said, I know I can make Deadpool this role successful? I'm going to try it again,

because a lot of people would have given up after something like that. Well, you know, that's an- Sorry, Ryan, just not to cut you up. And Sean's saying that Green Lantern was so bad you should have quit. Go ahead. Go ahead.

Thank you for reading between the lines. My entire inner monologue is a gigantic comedic nod right now. You know, I think like I'm failing at starring in a gigantic comic book movie in the grand scheme of things is an extraordinarily uptown problem. So I think kind of reframing it a little bit like that, but then also-

But it's your life. Well, it's okay, it's your life. It is, you know, everything's a little bit bigger when it's your life. And at the time it really hurt because I realized that it was, I let a lot of people down. It sort of felt like, you know,

when it's you and the public discourse about that, everything feels much bigger than it actually is, you know? So I felt a little bit like I'd let people down. I, you know, people really loved that character. And I didn't love that feeling, you know? But I think what changed everything was finding a way to have gentle authorship in the work that I do as opposed to that unilateral power,

like walking into a room and saying, I'm the boss. This is how it's gonna be my way of the highway. It's really finding a way to truly collaborate with people. And the best leaders I know, and this applies to all forms of business and the arts, but the best leaders I know are the ones that are very, very comfortable saying,

I don't know. So how can we get to a place where we know, can someone in this room show me or teach me? And those are great leaders. So I think harnessing some of those kinds of things, you know, basically grinding up 45 self-help books and snorting it like the biggest line of coke you've ever seen, also kind of help you shape

some of these points of view. Right. But that was the thing that I think kind of changed my life. And then it allowed me to sort of take that energy around that particular movie and use it a little bit like Judo uses energy against it and kind of ramp. I mean, one of the great prides of my life

was writing the tag on Deadpool 2 where Deadpool kills Ryan Reynolds while he's reading the script for Green Lantern. And I just like- That is so funny. It was like a lot of- So clever. That kind of stuff is so fun to me, you know,

to be able to do that. And also I think, well, part of it, what you're talking about is you don't, and you seemingly never have taken yourself too seriously. And I think that that's really important. It's a, and people see it as armor. It's not really, it's actually kind of a great way to go through life.

If you don't take yourself too seriously, then the slings and arrows don't hurt as much. No, not at all. And so you, yeah, and you have a healthy, and I think there's a very, you also have a very kind of Canadian outlook on life in certain ways. Certainly I identify with that, which is like,

hey man, it's like you said, like it's an uptown problem. It's all kind of a gas. I mean, the fact that we're fucking doing it is hilarious. You're making a living at it. I mean, my father, if he were alive today, you know, he'd probably find some new way to die. But if he were alive today, he would, you know, dark, he would, you know, he'd be like, holy shit.

You're living like the life at Riley here. Like, come on. Yeah. Sean, what would your dad say? My dad would say, what's your name? Yeah. That's what my dad would say. Over the sound of the departing car engine.

Oh no. Sean's dad left when he was five. Sean's dad left when he was five. And so it's a big, it's a recurring joke on the show. My dad canceled Christmas one year. I'm not kidding. He said Christmas is canceled. And it is just like, to this day,

it's still makes my brother and I fall over laughing. What year did Blake and her little angel wings float down into your life? During what projects and how did that? Hey man, don't say it so fucking creepily in that way. She's such an angel. Don't describe his wife as an angel floating down here. Will, straight from heaven.

Straight from heaven. Just say, when did you meet Blake, like a normal fucking person? But I want to know what the little, what the wings flapping did for his life and his career, and then children, did it change anything, or did it just complicate stuff and affect your overhead? No, no, no.

This is the only fucking guy on earth who would look at a family as overhead. I know, it's so true. Yes. This is the line item for daughter, I'm just gonna fuck her. No, I met Blake on the darkest crease in the anus of the universe called Green Lantern, and we were friends and buddies,

and then about a year and a half later, we actually went on a double date, but we were dating separate people. Wow. Really? She was doubling with someone else. Oh, God. She went on a date with someone else,

and I was on a date with someone else, and we hung out and kind of, we always kind of kept in touch, but sort of casually, and then next thing you know, she was going to Boston, I was going to Boston, so I was like, well, I'll ride with you. We got on the train and rode together,

and then, you know, I was just begging her to sleep with me. Who made the first move, was it you? Yes. Yeah, yeah. And how did that, so let's get into that. What does a first move look like? I mean, is it like, and I've done this move actually in a movie theater where you put girls sitting next

to you, you stretch out both arms, one over the back of her chair, and one over the back of the empty chair next to you, so it looks like you just relaxed, and then about five minutes later, you take the other arm down, you scratch your leg, and you leave the one behind her up. Now I got my arm around her.

So that was one of my first moves. Wow. This is like ninth grade stuff. You're like the fucking font. Yeah, man, so it was yours as good as that, or was it? No, mine was much more elaborate. I mean, I would use a little bit of tear stick, so I'd get the tears kind of rolled and coming out.

You can gently sort of put it underneath your eyelids, and then I would tell a little sob story about my life, and how my hardship, my Eastern block hardship upbringing. How about how important your virginity is to you? Yeah. Did you use it? Oh my God, of course. Like as soon as I was in love,

I was like, listen, we're not sitting together, all right? It's not happening. So you guys are friends, so how long after you started dating, so you're friends, then you start dating, how long were you guys like, this is the real deal? Pretty quick. Honestly, it was kind of one of those silly sort of,

like out of a very, I was like a week later, I was like, we should buy a house together. Wow. I know, and we did. Because it was getting too expensive to drive back and forth, so it was really about the bottom line, the overhead, it would just be more efficient to own a house together.

Yeah, we just, again, the overhead, right? Same thing with me. How long have you guys been together? And then, you know. How long have you guys been together? We've been together almost 10 years. Nice. Yeah, that's like 45 years in Hollywood terms.

Yeah, oh, sure is. Two kids, yes? Three. Three daughters. Wow. Yes. Thanks, Bateman. I know.

Listen, you know. You couldn't throw a little Google search in there while we were talking here. No, we're to alienate Ryan. Ryan, I want to ask you to do something about it because I follow you on Instagram and you posted something that was pretty awesome that I can relate to, which is anxiety.

It's about anxiety. Yes. And you're open about the anxiety you have and I'm pretty much open about the one I have. And this is your quote, which I love. I have anxiety. Yes, you do. It says, to all those like me who over schedule,

over think, over work, over worry and over everything, please know you're not alone. I love that. Why? And see, that's what I was trying to get to before was you do all of those things because and is that you attribute all of those things, not attribute, but you associate all of those things

with having anxiety. And if you associate anxiety with success, isn't it scary to get rid of it? Well, that's the dangerous tightrope walk. I think a lot of people are on, right? It's, I see anxiety as a sort of an engine in a way, sometimes for creativity, but it also has, it's like, it's got its own sort of cloud

and shroud of darkness. So I'm grateful for my anxiety, which has allowed me to kind of transmute it a little bit and make it useful, which I think is always great. But then there's a lot of insomnia associated. There's a lot of sleepless nights where you're laying awake, over analyzing everything. And it's very hard to turn one's brain off.

Right. So that's where you start to rely on other, meditation and all kinds of other things, just to kind of get yourself back to a centered place. But yeah, anxiety is something that like, it's been with me my whole life. It's started as a kid, being in a house that wasn't, my household that I grew up in wasn't overly awful,

I wouldn't say in the grand scheme of things, certainly compared to some people, but my dad was never an easy person to be around. He was like a skin covered landmine. Like you just never knew when you're gonna step on the wrong spot and he was just gonna explode. So it creates a situation where as a kid, you start to really try to predict the future.

And I think predicting the future is a big brick in the wall of anxiety, which is we cannot predict the future. So you're constantly living in this thing that may or may not happen, this place or space that may or may not happen. So you know, but then in this business, we all kind of tend to do that, right?

We project into the future. What's it like to be this person? What's it like to comedies a little bit like that? There's, it's a music and it's, you're thinking, how do I come 90 degrees to expectation in this moment? And that's, it's all kind of born of that same thing, those wheels that just sort of don't shut off.

I think that anxiety when you can't turn it off, when you can't turn your brain off, that is one form. And I know that Sean struggles with his anxiety because he can't turn his brain on. And that's often, yeah. Well, my cord, my cord won't reach far enough to the outlet. It's just, I walk, I walk a certain,

if I walk anywhere further than 10 feet, the plug comes out of the wall. Does this little this thing ever go on? Will there ever be a thought? Listen, what's going on with you and Hugh Jackman are obviously in this huge beef. And you obviously, you guys have had some words. Wait, fill me in.

What happened? Well, I guess he and Hugh- That guy's going to be tap dancing in hell. Yeah. I've seen a few posts and it gets pretty, it gets pretty real. What's going on here? Who pissed somebody off?

You know, Hugh Jackman is, I really shouldn't say this, but he is, he really is- This is a family podcast, by the way, okay? I know. He makes like kindness look like murder. I mean, he's really is just the nicest guy you'd ever meet. And that's, trust me, not sometimes.

No, no, there's no but, unfortunately. He's, he really is the real deal. You're questioning the sincerity of his kindness. No? No, it's just, it's infuriating because I want to- Because it's so real. I got it. I want to possess the sense of well-being that Hugh Jackman possesses.

And it turns into anger for you. I want to understand that to some degree. So we sometimes hate and lash out at the things that we cannot understand. Sure. So I tend to hate and lash out at Hugh. And he does, he reciprocates of course, because he's nothing if not a sportsman.

And that's kind of it. But in reality though, he is like my kind of life Sherpa. Sherpa is one of the best guys I know. I'm doing a film right now where I'm, it's a musical where I have to sing and dance, which is for me is like my actual version of hell. What is it? And a challenge.

Yeah, why would you do that? Are you supposed to be a bad singer and dancer? No, I'm supposed to be pretty, I'm doing it with our friend of the court, Will Ferrell. We're in song and dance camp right now for the next month and a half. God, he's the best, isn't he? The best.

Oh, great. Isn't he the best? I'm like that Chris Farley sketch with them. I was like, remember when you, remember when you were Neil Diamond in Songwriters and Storytelling? I know. Wait, you guys are doing a movie together?

I'm gonna be first in line for that. What is it called? When's it coming out? It's called Spirited and it's a musical for Apple. And it's just been a real journey. When Jason says he's first in line, he means first in line calling his publicist to get tickets for him and the kids to go to the premiere.

No, no, no, no. Christmas is our 2022. Is there a Christmas theme to it? Yeah. It's a real musical. Wow. Like who wrote the music? Here we go.

Passick and Paul. Justin Paul and Benji Passick. Oh, they're fantastic. Outlaw, La Land and Greatest Showman, Evan Hansen. And they're just amazing, amazing, best songwriters ever. Yeah, that's great. Yeah, they wrote the songs for real singers.

That's the problem. Oh, okay. But you sing. So how do you think it's going? You're camp, do you wanna fire yourself yet or not? Oh, I would definitely, but I would fire myself from almost anything, particularly fatherhood.

Not true. So, Ryan, what would our listener be surprised to learn that you do when you are not being philanthropic or a key member of the entertainment industry? What do you do to, like, McElhaney, me and Will, we play a lot of golf. Do you do any of the golfing or... Oh, God.

What do you do to be an idiot? I envy golf, because it sounds so meditative, right? Like, you go out and you just walk. Yeah, you walk. You know, I will tip it, like, when I'm in New York, when I'm at home, you know, I'll go, like, I'll do like crazy walks. Like, I'll go for four hours, if I can.

Have you ever walked all the way around the island of Manhattan? No, never that long. I'll go, like, from downtown to, like, the tip of Central Park, which is, takes, like, three hours. Wait, are you in New York now? Yeah. Oh, I didn't know you lived there. They're East Coasters.

I love that you guys are East Coasters. I am in Paul Bunyan's asshole right now. I know where you are. This is where I live. Oh, wait, have I seen this house? No, you moved, I think, in the house I saw, right? I don't think you've been here, no. No, they had to change numbers and addresses.

Sorry, Jason. Well, what? You don't even know how many kids he has. Why do you think he'd have you at the house? Oh, and who's this little one? Yeah. Who is this little? No, did you hear on a play day?

Was the third for, like, just, like, emergency harvestable organs, or did you want the third? Jason turns to Blake and goes, um, Angel, Angel Wings, who is this little one? And she's like, don't call me fucking Angel Wings. Did this third one give you a more favorable tax bracket? Is that why you? Is that Amanda's name?

Do you guys, do you guys have, like, a, like a, is she, is she boo? We, um, I, I don't, I don't think I've called her the same thing twice in 20 years. I, I, and my kids the same thing. It drives whatever it is. It works though. I guess.

You know, it's so funny. I, for it with Scotty, my husband Scotty, I think it's so awkward on sitcoms when characters call the other character by name over and over and over again. So I, because nobody does that in life. So I do it with Scotty. I always say, Scotty, do you want to grab something to eat tonight, Scotty?

Scotty, I don't know because it's so unnatural. I think I always bust my balls about this cause I can never just say, um, I, I did a movie this last year with Dwayne Johnson and I, but I always say Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Like I go through the full, I mean, literally like the sun rises and sets before I can make it to the end of his full name. You know, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, I'm doing a scene today

with Dwayne the Rock Johnson. She's like, I understand. You could go with DJ D, the rock, the big guy, Dwayne, but people in Boston do that. They don't notice they go, matter of fact, Will, uh, we were over there at, uh, we're out in Dedham, Will, and, uh, Will, we see the other guy that will, and you're like, stop using my name so much.

You know what I'm saying? Let's go through things that we hate that people say, like little pet peeves. Are we ready? Cause I got another one loaded up. Okay. I can't imagine you have one. Watching fucking hockey these days.

Okay. And I'm so, and not just hockey, but all sports and answers, stop saying without a doubt or without question. They constantly, constantly going, well, without question, they're, you know, the Leafs are, uh, they're, they're not, you know, fighting through the neutral zone and without question, without question. Yeah.

I don't know. I think it's very common people will start to say something and they'll just throw in the, the conformational right in the middle of the thing. Um, so, you know, when you're walking down the street, right? You're, uh, you're thinking about, uh, you know, how nice it is, right? And, and the right is getting very overused nowadays.

The one that, the one that just cripples me though is, is, is guy. Hey, guy. Hey, guy. Can I have a. But we did that for years. Jason and I did that. And we used to, it's in a few episodes of arrested development where we'll turn to each other and go, yeah, hey, guy, I've

heard you just say that, Jason in a, in a, in a, in a, in a comedy context, because it's, I love it because it's like, you may as well just say like, Hey, peanuts hooked up to a life support system. What, uh, you know, it's just so generic. Did you ever see what Jason, what's that movie you did in the desert with Peter Berg and, uh, everybody? Oh, uh, kingdom.

Kingdom. Jason has a, as a role in kingdom and one of my favorite line readings of all time, they're speeding through the desert. And I remember seeing this in the theater with Krasinski and we're, you're speeding through the desert and the guy's going way too fast. And Jason goes, Hey driver, are you late for something? My character has anxiety.

He does. He doesn't like the speeding. It's his throwaways though that like, I, the, the, what's the, what's the one that kills? There's one that just fucking kills me. It'll come to me in a second. I did change guy to gang recently, just like saying, even if it's a single person, we're going to, guns hot is the one I

still use from the change up when you, when Leslie man rolls over and it passes a little gas in the bed and Jason, who's now me, my psyche, but he goes, Hey, you're going to, you're going to come at me. Guns hot. We all said, Sean Levy says it. We all said all that. I mean, literally all the time.

I'm going to see that movie again. I really liked that. I feel like I've not seen it since we saw it in like, in La Kenyatta or something. We saw the movie you were in. Well, yeah. I only saw it the once you work on something for months and then you just see it one time.

What do you hate that people say? What's yours, Sean? Circle back. I hate circle back. Circle back. Oh, circle back. Circle back. Hey, let us discuss.

And we're going to circle back or touch base or per my previous email. Why don't you just say, I didn't fucking get back to you. Why don't you do that with me on your text per my previous text in anticipation of our conversation? Please see the included, you know, dictated, but not read. That's a little inside baseball. Did you purposely not respond to Bateman because you're just

like, fuck it. He doesn't know. Let's get back to this. Now, here's what I'm going to say. This is a very generous interpretation of the series of events. I think it is. Let's believe it on Apple.

Apple has a problem with texting. You cannot mark a text as unread because if you read a text and they go, oh, boy, I really want to give a good response to this person. It deserves my attention a longer, but I don't have the time to do that right now. I'll do it later. There's no reminder that that text came in later and you could

go months without responding to it and then seem, well, hurtful, I guess, you know, to the person who sent it to you. It would be a kind thing of Apple to do is to allow us to do that. It's a simple update. I'm going to be completely honest with you right now. I got your text. Oh, boy. I wanted to be on the show.

Here's the other thing though. This goes back to my little post yesterday. This goes back to the thing that we were talking about is I get really like, I turtle a little bit when it's stuff like that, but I'm getting around people that I greatly respect and admire, and this isn't me just pumping a bunch of hyperbole into your balloon knob. I'm telling you, I actually feel, so I get a little like, oh, God,

what is that? Like, I need to understand, I need to hear that podcast. And then I started to, then I fell in love with the podcast and That made it worse. Just last time when you asked that you had someone on that was like, meh. And I was like, oh, then I can do this. Yeah.

Now I get it. Who was it? Who was it? Who was it? Who was not Tina Fey? I'll tell you that. Tina Fey is good. She doesn't miss a lot of things.

No, nobody was meh. It was just one of the things where I just wasn't the right time. I also found that the pandemic, and I realized that I'm not one of the millions and millions of people who are living at home paycheck to paycheck and living in an abject state of panic during a pandemic. I am one of the people who is not. I'm lucky. I'm fortunate.

I'm able to not. But I was having a, that was a tough, I mean, you know, when you're homeschooling kids, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this. How did they do? How did they do? Did they had a tough time? Yeah, same. I was like seeking out external help, left her and so I was reading books.

I was like trying to figure out some way to steer the shit. So Blake was so much better at it than I was because I'm also a child. But personally, when you have a creative mind and you go through a pandemic, it's hard to, and you're stuck at home. And I think maybe that's a little bit of what you're saying is like, Yeah. Did you start doing anything that you were surprised at? Did you start painting?

Did you start whittling? Did you start working with clay? No, I wish. I did a lot of writing. I started to like really make meditation a practice. I know it's like a little esoteric and everything, but it really did help. How many times did you accidentally fall asleep? Because that's what happens with me.

I've given up on it now. Jason, if I had a baseline sense of well-being that you did, I would love it. I used to, I remember in the changeup, we'd worked kind of be like, did you get your 14 hours? You got it all. Granddad does know how to stay down pretty good. Like greedy little pig, you get it all. Yeah, no, I would love to, I would fucking love to just get some uninterrupted sleep.

That sounds great. No, meditating is not. I mean, my version of meditating is like sitting at a perfect right angle and in a silent scream. Yeah. That's so... That's a... Mouth wide open.

John hinged. The mouth is so wide open. No sound coming out. 100%. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ryan, where do you see your...

You've got three kids. You've got all this stuff. You're meditating. You're becoming a complete person. You're obviously drinking gin all day because you own a booze company. Sure. You're married to an angel. So you're constantly half in the bag.

You've got your little pretty little angel. Jesus Christ. I will. He dragged you right into this smut puddle, didn't he? I know. But where do you see yourself? I mean, it seems like everything you're doing now just is opening up. You're just hitting your stride now.

Is there part of you that goes like, I've done a lot of accomplished a lot and I just kind of want to slow it down and just chill or do you feel like, no, just let's just keep rolling? Constantly. I mean, I would assume that you guys feel the same way. You're always thinking like, okay, next year I'll slow it down, you know, but the only reason I think I'm able to continue doing this at this way, I think is that I'm present with my kids and my wife and my marriage is incredibly important to me and that friendship

is important to me. I, you know, I'm able to kind of get through, you know, but then Blake and I don't do movies at the same time. So she's ready to go back and do some, so I'll step down and then, you know, we'll, we go back and forth. You guys alternate. Yeah. She'll do a film and I'll just be, you know, with her on location, hanging with the kids.

You take the kids with you on location always? Always. Yeah. We never have. But now they're six, four and one. So they're in school. So we can't really. Right.

Leave. Yeah. It starts to change. Yeah. And you, yeah, you start to say, like, you have to make decisions based on, and people know everywhere who have kids that you make decisions based on what works for your family. My dad had the, my dad had the same philosophy around, take me with them wherever he go. Oh, wait.

No, I'm kidding. That's no problem. Jason, I know you have two kids. Will, you have three. Three. So you have three boys. Shawn, do you have? One dog.

One dog. Okay. So. Yes. Yeah. Did you guys ever, I mean, I don't, I never imagined to have three. That sounds like that. Three boys.

But I have 10, there are 12, 10 and one. My youngest just turned one and yeah, it's, you know, it changes everything because everything is dictated. Everything starts there. That's your baseline. So it's, it's what works for the kids. It's everything. It's where you live, what you do, what jobs you take, what, when you take holidays, it's

all geared around. But how, how different is three from to the jump from two to three? I just like, I was researching like a blowtorch vasectomy after the third. I was like, there must be a way to stop. Oh, I know a way to stop this. Yeah. No, I've, I've thought about it without getting, yeah, with, yes, I've also had that same thought.

Um, but then I also think like, why, who am I to deprive the world, uh, of more of what just me. Yeah. Well, just hear me out. You guys. Look, this, this shit is no fucking fluke, you know, so why would I, why would I, but it is hard. I do, I do think that though, sometimes when, when somebody I love it, admire doesn't ever

have kids, I think, oh, those, those amazing genes aren't well, thank you. Let me tell you something though. Thank you. You're welcome. I think that the reason why, uh, one of the reasons why I don't have kids is because of some of these conversations that I've always been around, which is like, ugh, so tired. Oh, kids.

Oh, I have to figure it out. And so growing up, I was like, well, maybe there's something to that. Maybe it is true. The first year is garbage. Okay. Everybody. First year is tough. But I gotta say though, there's never a moment where you're actually genuinely regretting

it. Never. I mean, it's the best. No, of course not. You can't imagine not. I can't remember not having kids now. Right. I will say, I will say as a man who's 51 and had a child at 50, I was like, hey guy,

what the fuck were you doing? Hey guy, are you stupid? Yeah. And, uh, you were out. You were out of the game and you threw yourself back in there. And guess what? Your chassis is not holding up. Chassis.

So close. I hate when you say that word. You know, I said this Ryan before on the, on the podcast, but I read this quote a long time ago that I said from this woman who said, I'd rather regret not having kids than have them and regret it later. And that was kind of my philosophy. No. Well, you got to consider the source.

Who the fuck was she? You know what I mean? It's my mom. Oh, no. Just a brim full of flashy hate. Sean. No, I know, Sean. We've talked about it before a few times and you've, you've thrown that quote in my

face to make me feel bad a bunch of times. No, no. I've always wanted to want them. When, when is the last time you and Scottie talked about it though? I mean, probably like a couple of years ago, only us listening here two years ago. A couple of years ago. Will you guys talk about it again? Just, just take it up the flagpole again today over lunch or something.

Awesome. I gotta say. I know. I mean, come on. I want to make sure that I want to be there for them like my dad wasn't right. So that's why I know I would be like a great dad. I just make sure that I'm ready as somebody who's been friends with you for 20 years. I know that you would be so good at it.

You and Scottie would be great. Oh my God. Sean. I'll take one of yours. Yes. I'll take the kid. Sean, listen, if it doesn't, if you don't like it, I'll take the kid. Cause I did always want three.

Oh, this is a great deal. But I like the way like Ricky, Ricky's always, Gervais is always saying that, you know, there is that sort of pressure from people to like, why, why is the ultimate thing not to have kids and his things like maybe that's just not for us. We don't want, we don't share this and it's totally, totally valid. 100%. But you do get a great tax write off if you have a kid. Oh, it's just so that you know.

Ryan, we have, we have really, we, we've really monopolized your time and you've got three kids. Hold on, hold on. I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready yet. Okay. You want to ask you each one thing. Cause you guys are all people that I lesser in greater extents.

Think less of now. Yeah. Worship. I love you guys so much. I love your work. What is your most fulfilling job that you've ever had? This is the one that you look back on, it doesn't have to be in showbizy. Sean, you go first.

Well, the most fulfilling job I've ever had is probably willing grace, of course. I mean, that happens to be the biggest job I've ever had too, but bird in flight on that. Oh, thanks. Uh, but speaking of anxiety, a lot of people thought, you know, you know, I came in like a ferret on cocaine all the time as that character. And I think it's because it's because of my anxiety because a lot of people like, oh, you're so funny.

You have so much energy. You have so much anxiety. And I put it into the character. So I was like, ah. But since the day you like burst through that door on the second, literally see you bursting through that door on that set, it's just, it was, I just said, I mean, it's like seeing a bird in flight. Well, thanks.

I think that guy's meant to do this. Yes. Well, that was my, she answered your question. Thank you for asking. It's very kind. Yes. Probably that job. It happens to be the biggest one, but also just because of the ancillary effect that's

had on the world, which was not, nobody could see that coming. It was just an incredible byproduct of what we were doing. So that's my answer. Amazing. Jason. I would say, I don't know, I'm really deeply, deeply, deeply in love with directing right now. And so I would say the first film that I directed, Bad Words, was probably really exciting for

me. Shot by Kenseng. Kenseng. One of the most pretty looking, funniest, charming fucking movies. I love it. Will Arnett. I would say Arrested Development for me because I've said this before, it's very rare where you guys know when you have, when you're working on something and it doesn't feel like work,

I remember walking up, driving up every day to the lot on Fox and putting my pass on the thing and they opened up the gate and thinking, I'm so glad I'm here today. This is exactly where I want to be. I can't wait to get in. I never had anxiety about doing scenes and never had anxiety about any of it. I just couldn't wait for them to start rolling and start fucking around. I was like, I'm getting paid to, I've also said this on the show before once, I remember saying when I bought a nice place and saying to my dad, can you believe that fucking around?

Because he obviously thought I just fucked around my whole life. And I was like, turns out fucking around paid off. But it was truly such an amazing experience and it was very, you know, it was so fulfilling and there were so many great relationships and it was seamless and, you know, Jason and I, that's where we, that's where I met my little angel first fluttered into my life, Jason. And it's been a lifelong, yeah, the rest of it. I love you, Will.

Will. I love you. I love you. I love you too. Right. Your, your greatest, was it two girls and a guy? Two guys and a girl. Two girls and a girl.

Oh my God. The show, the show, the show, the show. The show. The show. The show. The show. The show. Oh God.

I don't know. I loved, I did love doing a sick. I love two guys, a girl and a pizza. But I remember, I kind of like, I worked with this guy named Danny Jacobson, who was the executive producer and writer. And I remember he came out and yelled at me one day because I was kind of holding back. I don't know if Will, if you can, you know, relate to this, but it was, you know, I felt, I was very Canadian on stage.

I was very like, oh, I got to make sure I'm not too much. I'll give, you know, these other guys, I want to make sure everyone has their moment, you know. Just like, hey man, fucking take the stage. You take the stage, take it. It's yours. It doesn't make, diminish anybody else's performance. Just fucking go out there and give it your all.

And it really stuck with me. Take the stage, take the stage. I still think about that. But I would say that my most fulfilling job was probably Deadpool 1 and 2, just because like, it almost killed me. I mean, it was like a, you know, it was chewing and blowing bubbles with every aspect of it. You remember you talking about that years earlier and wanting to really be respectful and deliberate about how and when you, you do that.

You know. There was a learn so much, you know, just like being involved in the guts of a big movie line. It wasn't a big movie. We shot it on nothing, but it was still. From the outside, it seems like that was a, that was a, a part in a movie and a thing that really was probably shifted everything for you. I can see how it, it was huge.

And that genre too. But it wasn't just a huge hit. You were really good in it. It was really funny. It used everything that you're good at. And look, you mentioned Canadian, you're from Vancouver, do you still, do you consider yourself Canadian? Oh, big time.

Being from Vancouver. Big time. I really do. It still counts. So British Columbia counts. That's what I mean. Despite this tricky two country name. Yes.

It's, it is Canadian. Are you close to, I'm obviously joking, but do you, are you, do you still feel connected to your Canadian roots? I really do because I feel like Canada is like one of my parents in a way. It taught me to laugh at myself. It taught me to really kind of, you never take myself, I mean, it's one of the lines of Van Wilder. Don't take life too seriously.

You'll never get out alive. Yeah. But what is that? What is that? Will, you tell the story about the lobsters. It's, it's a, it's a tricky spot. How does that go again? I told, when Tina was on, I said the Canadian lobster fisherman and the American lobster

fisherman walking down the road and one, the American says, aren't you, you got, notice you don't have a lid on your lobster pot there by, aren't you worried about your lobsters getting out? And the Canadian says, no, these are Canadian lobsters. And I'm trying to get out. The other ones will pull them back down. And I will say like that's Canada. I caught the new fee accent there though, the new, pretty good, right?

Yeah. Thanks everybody. Thanks everybody. I have to apologize to the people at Prince Edward Island cause they made a joke on Colbert and I just want them to know they're loved and we really love you on the PEI, all four listeners to the smart list podcast and they're like, what? We didn't know and shut up and we don't follow what you say, dude. You know, Ryan, you and I ought to do a tour of Canada, just like a, just like a coming

home tour and we'll just like a parade. Absolutely. Let's get in the car. Yeah. Let's get in Sean's Toyota Corolla and see how far we can get before my Nissan Centra takes over. Let's do it. Let's do a tour of Canada and just a victory lap in Sean's car.

You guys are going up there. You guys are taking the podcast there. We're doing the tour up there. Yeah. I know more about this fucking show than you three. I know you do. Rob Bennett and I have been working this shit behind the scenes, like no one's business. Ryan Reynolds, you are a man, a myth.

You're a prince. And I can't thank you enough for doing this. Love you. Love you like crazy. Love you guys too. Thank you for having me. This has been, this was amazing for me. It's been awesome having you.

Thank you, Ryan. You're the best. Thanks guys. And I never say that. No, you don't. He doesn't. I never heard him say that. No.

That's how. Thanks guys. Take it easy. Have a great rest of the day. Bye, Ryan. Bye, guys. God, I really like that, Ryan. Really, all you Canadians are so nice.

Why is that? When does it get dark? Is there, it's going to be like a series of... Like September through April. Oh, oh. It gets real dark. Does that coincide with hockey season or the opposite? Yeah.

Well, if it wasn't for hockey, forget it. It does get dark up there in the north, but you know what? The flip side is it gets really light. It does seem though, like every, because I don't know Canada like you do, obviously, but it does seem like everybody that is in the business of show is always so grateful and upbeat and kind. Yeah. There's no entitlement, which is...

Yeah. Well, no. I mean, we're so excited. I was talking to, you know, Sean and I, we were talking to Andrea Martin the other day, you know, who's, who lived in Canada for a long time and she's actually American, the brilliant Andrea Martin. And I was saying that, like, you know, growing up in Canada, I moved down here because I knew that there was so much more opportunity down here and same reason, I'm sure that

Ryan did. Like that you can, there's only so much that you can do it sort of. And Canada is such an amazing place. I knew so many, I mean, so many funny, talented, incredible people who are from Canada who moved here because it's just, there's just more, it's just bigger and more people. And you get down here and you're like, I don't know, I guess you just kind of appreciate that, like, that you get to do this. I'm a kid from Toronto.

As much as I sort of joke, I'm just a guy who grew up in Toronto. I have no showbiz connections. But let me ask you something, Wilk, because when you came down and when you guys come down to this country, because on the outside, for me, it always seems like, well, because we live here, all just the kind of like the turbulent, you know, atmosphere that is now in the country that divides, you know, just turn on the news and all this stuff is happening. And it seems like from the outside, Canada doesn't have them, I'm sure you do. But on the outside, it just seems like Canada's just up, everybody's upbeat and happy and

like good spirited. No, I think there are a lot of issues, of course, anywhere you go. There are issues that are sort of germane to whatever place you go to and Canada has its own issues as well. But there is a sense of like, you know, I don't know if it's the kind of a hangover from the sort of the English, like sort of a Commonwealth thing, which is just kind of, you know, keep calm and carry on idea of just like, yeah, shit happens. And you just kind of keep going and you, and you just don't, it's one of the things that

I love slash sort of push back against, which is like, don't take yourself too seriously. Yeah. Keep it in perspective, guy. And Ryan embodies that. Ryan embodies all that. Is Jason frozen or is he asleep? Oh, it looks like. This fucking conversation is just putting me to sleep.

Holy shit. What the fuck are we talking about? Are we still on Canada? Holy shit. I was, I asked the question because Ryan seems to embody everything that Will is saying. Ryan is all of those things. Oh my God. You can't believe that you're continuing.

You know, we're recording, right? Guys, we're supposed to be wrapping up the Ryan episode. What do you want to say? I literally thought it was frozen. What do you want to say about Ryan? It was a finite number of minutes in my day to enjoy. Fuck. Boy, you were really off somewhere, Jason.

He looked like he was fucking frozen. Like we were at the Madame Tussauds and here's the Jason Bateman. It's what shock looks like. So listen, this guy, Ryan Reynolds, just a stunning man, a great friend, an incredible talent. Is he getting more talented? Does it seem like it? I think so.

Yeah. I mean, he understands, I guess, you know, what his thing is and he's like fine-tuning and fine-tuning and then putting it in other areas and, you know, fucking slinging booze and buying. He didn't even get to his mobile phone company that he owns. I know. He owns a fucking mobile phone company. Yeah.

And you know, when you call somebody through his cellular phone, you start in any conversation. No, no, no, no, no, no, you cannot end this right now. I don't even know what a telescope for. I could just see it coming right here. Go ahead. He starts the conversation by saying hi, but how do you end it? Oh, you say? Bye-bye.

Bye-bye. Smart. What. Smart. What. What. What. Smart.

What. What. What. What. What. What. What. What.

What. What. What.