Ryan Reynolds Responded To Criticism After He Was Paired With Andrew Garfield For Variety's "Actors On Actors"

Natasha Jokic
·2-min read

Ryan Reynolds addressed criticism of his pairing with Andrew Garfield for Variety's Actors on Actors series.

Person in a tailored black suit on a red carpet at a film festival event
Person in a tailored black suit on a red carpet at a film festival event
A person in a tailored suit with a tie on a red carpet event backdrop labeled
A person in a tailored suit with a tie on a red carpet event backdrop labeled

Marc Piasecki / Getty Images, Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

Each year, the publication pairs a set of actors to embark upon a filmed and published discussion. This year's iteration includes combinations such as Saoirse Ronan and Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and Paul Mescal, and Nicole Kidman and Zendaya.

Person in a stylish, off-the-shoulder gown poses on a red carpet, background reading
Person in a stylish, off-the-shoulder gown poses on a red carpet, background reading
Person in a tailored suit at an event for the American Museum of Natural History, standing on a red carpet
Person in a tailored suit at an event for the American Museum of Natural History, standing on a red carpet

Dominik Bindl / Getty Images, Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images for the American Museum of Natural History

The pairing of Andrew and Ryan raised eyebrows for some, with one viral post drawing a comparison between the two's projects this year — drama We Live In Time and comedy sequel Deadpool & Wolverine respectively.

Tweet discussing Andrew Garfield's role as a husband in a film and Ryan Reynolds discussing playing Deadpool
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In response, Ryan took to the platform to write, "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."

Twitter: @VancityReynolds

"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," he continued. "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."

A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection
A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection

"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," he concluded.

A character in a black and red superhero suit with a masked face stands outdoors, with a sword on their back
Marvel / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

It's worth noting that the two actors are familiar with one another, as they shared a kiss at the 2017 Golden Globes after Ryan Gosling won his award.

NBC
NBC

Guess we'll have to wait until Dec. 9 for the full conversation! What do you make of Ryan's response?

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