Hugh Jackman recently made a humorous remark about his co-star Ryan Reynolds while discussing their time filming “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The two actors share a friendship that many admire. In an interview captured by DailyMail.com, Jackman mentioned that although he enjoyed working on the film with Reynolds, he had a minor issue regarding the film’s opening scene.
While at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Jackman mentioned that despite being present for most of the film, he was absent from one particular scene at the start. He said, “Don’t tell Ryan,” before noting that he doesn’t need to be in every scene. However, he pointed out that the opening sequence, which he was not part of, featured a dance number to an NSYNC song performed by Reynolds. Jackman humorously questioned Reynolds’ dance capabilities, adding, “I’m like, the one scene I’m not in has dance. Now Ryan, he’s very talented, but dancing?”
Jackman jokingly suggested he wouldn’t attempt to match the moves of Reynolds’ dance double, Nick Pauley, citing the age difference. He stated, “There is no way I would try and match Ryan’s dance double Nick Pauley… because the guy’s like 25 years old.” Jackman then entertained the audience by performing “the dance that got away” with his trainer, Beth Lewis.
It is clear Jackman’s comments were in jest, given the longstanding friendship between him and Reynolds.
The duo discussed their close friendship in an interview with Entertainment Weekly last year. Reynolds described their bond as one where both individuals support one another. He remarked, “I would say that [ours] is like any relationship that is successful and works: It’s that two parties are rooting for each other.” He continued to praise Jackman, saying, “I can say first-hand that he’s a person who’s not just worth rooting for, he’s somebody who’s impossible to not root for.”
Despite their successful collaboration, the film “Deadpool & Wolverine” almost did not come to fruition.
In a Vanity Fair interview with Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, they revealed that the movie was close to being shelved. Reynolds encountered creative challenges while brainstorming for the third Deadpool film, which would be the first within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shawn Levy explained, “We frankly struggled to find a story that felt original and non-derivative of the other two Deadpool movies.” The team wanted to create a story that was fitting for Deadpool’s MCU debut while maintaining the franchise’s gritty and realistic tone.
Levy noted they were on the verge of telling Kevin Feige that perhaps it wasn’t the right time for the film, when Reynolds received a timely call from Jackman, sparking the collaboration.