"Ryan Reynolds"

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subject to change. 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 Smartless.
Smart. Less.
Smart. Less.
Smart. Less.
Go ahead, Sean. I was just going to ask you, so you listen to Italian rap.
Sure. And that's like a real thing.
Yeah, I listen to Italian rap. I listen 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 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.
I can tell by the way you look that 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. Will, do you ever wear, like, long? You're always in a T-shirt, always, every 24 hours a day.
I'm in a climate controlled house. You know, do you not have climate? What's going on? Are you just exposed to the elements? We can be in a world with, you know, 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 going to try to... And it's late right now.

I know. I get all

sweaty. Well, we have a guest

here. Wait a second, we're rolling?

Yeah, we got a guest here. Guys.
second. We're rolling? Yeah, we got a guest here.
You 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 is a, this is a, this person's an entrepreneur. Oh, this person is a, uh, is a visionary.
Oh boy. Is a business visionary.
He's got his hands in, 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 who America loves.
And this is your buddy Ryan. Look at him.
I hadn't even gotten to his looks yet. He is too hot for a podcast.
It's Ryan Reynolds. I wore sleeves today, guys.
Wait, 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.
Never heard back from you. Yeah, we're in the middle of a fucking pandemic, Bateman.

Shit was going.

I was battening down the hatches.

Appropriate response.

Appropriate response.

By the way, I'm still hung up on hillside blues,

picturing me and Dennis Franz 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 to our net.

You and I get a no. I don't even get a no.
I just get a no response. But you say yes, Tarnett.
You and I are so much closer to fucking Will in you. I know.
Let me reset the table here. Can I reset the table? Yeah.
This will be quick. It better prop me back up.
You guys just wait. I have never been in a room, virtual three people this is gonna hurt 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 off to a great each one of you guys take your time that's very nice have made a adult diaper requisite wardrobe for me to watch you.
Go around the table. Go around the table individually.
Guys, 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 moved.
Hairless. Freshly waxed.
Highbrows 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 and what I'm doing here.
I think I said, hey, Fran. I started with, hey, Fran.
He could see my soul visibly exiting my body. He always talks to wandering teens.
That's always been one of his hallmarks.

It really is the hallmark of a truly dynamic

predator. Hey, hairless, vulnerable,

innocent-looking friend,

what brings you to the office?

You look like you could use a ride.

But he was, no, 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 his, from the Teen Wolves. Of course, Jason Bateman.
Jason Bateman. Ryan, did you move out here cold? I mean, 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. Wait, what is Hillside, and what is 15? Me and Lawrence Pressman, you know, smashing it together.

Just throwing out all the fun, going deep cuts 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 in Santa Monica.

Thank you very much.

Equinox in Santa Monica.

Yep.

And you know what my thought was?

I was in there just, I was moving some way around. And obviously, I no stranger to a gym and we don't need to get into that.
Yeah. Moving some weight around.
Why don't you shut the hell up? So I'm in there and 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 going to put these 20s down and I'm just going to leave. He was actually only in ankle weights.
Will was wearing nothing but ankle weights. But Ryan, what about my question? 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 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. Were you checkout or were you box boy or? No, I did train as a cashier.
But I was actually stocking shelves midnight to 8 a.m. I was working on a graveyard shift.
Yeah, Facing out all the growth so everything is perfectly smooth and flat for the customer. 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 was food fights. I mean, some of the people I worked with at Safeway, the graveyard shift at Safeway at 25th and Oak.
They know who they are. Some of the funniest human beings 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 co-workers 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 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, you know, married with three kids.
I'm in touch with my, one of my best friends, Peterinos, that I went to school with my whole life, since Little League, I've basically known him. 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 She's doing really well.
She's really, really. Does the surgeon have a back on him like you do? Yeah.
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? Um, no, he did not. No, we were together in 10th grade and broke up in 11th grade.
Huh. And they got together after school.

Relationships run hot in 10th.

Right.

They sure do.

Yeah.

They sure do.

I was too busy working with Dennis Franz.

Yeah.

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'd never even been here before.

You'd never driven a car.

Yeah.

Hang on a second.

What kind of car did you rock out here from, what was it? A Toyota Corota corolla right 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 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 because dents everywhere and and i i made sure i got there before everybody else i went in and had a dinner with 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 out to the valet i'm waiting for my car and one by one it's 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 wrong ticket.
Wrong ticket. First of all, it wasn't a Corolla.
It was not a Toyota Corolla. Sean, how quickly were you trying to pull off your coexist bumper? Because you've always...
Yeah, right. Because you believe.
Coexist. 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 Hub same thing it wasn't even a car it was just like millions of wasps fucking like this car was just like absolute like danger to the bottom was out and you just moved it with your feet like Fred Flintstone.
So, Ryan, so you move here and you had done a show. You'd done 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, 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? Really? Yeah. I think I did get it.
Yeah. I think we did.
I forget how many seasons. Well, Ryan, I'll tell you.
Yeah. I think four and 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, I moved 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 troupe.
Yeah, yeah. We're Saturday Night Live.
Are you telling that to Ryan? He moved here to go to it. 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, you got to get in this 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, so you're in the classic groundlings.
How are you, what's your day job? Did you go to Albertsons and Vons 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. You can't just walk.
So 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 2.
Well, that's exactly when I met Teen Wolf too. Come on, really? That was it? No, I'd just been rejected from the groundlings.
And the next day I met you. And then when I met Jason, he saw the...
Then 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 can get arrested for that nowadays. That is a random act of kindness right there.
Unlike anything else. But I've known this guy for a long time and he's, this is something 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 in his past.

Oh, no, no.

He has such a squishy center to him.

And Ryan, I told this, what was it, a couple months ago, Sean,

when I hurt my back and Jason showed up with, like,

stuff from 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.

It 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 a back pad.

I have, like, 25 things aching on me right now and wrong with my body,

and Jason sent over Neosporin, 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.

What about, now what about,

speaking of the podcast,

what about McElhaney 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 a documentary,

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

Thank you. 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. 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. When 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 has has amazing and profound effect and a win-win for everybody. So we love the idea of, you know, sort of splitting our focus between community and the football club.
You've seen Sunderland Till I Die, obviously. I think I've seen every single football documentary I've ever made at this point.
Yeah, same, same. And I think you always need a face, man.

And, like, nobody can replace your face, man.

But, you know.

That was great.

Did you see what he just did, guys?

Thank you.

Go ahead and rewind that, listener.

Yeah, that was an A-team reference as well.

Just, you and Rob are going to 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 Thumba Wumba. Or Italian rap.
Or Italian rap. You heard, oh yeah, of course, you heard me talking about anredren.
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 and was hoping to find a couple of 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 career of mine?

Two girls and a guy.

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. A skin flick.
So currently we have a 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.
When 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, 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 Groundlings. 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 Kohner 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 to Go on a Pizza Place. And my highest aspiration was to play the wacky neighbor, you know, on like a, what was the predecessor to the CW? It was the UPN network.
I was hoping to get as the wacky neighbor on like the UPN network. That's where my expectation was.'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 what was your state of mind so you do two guys a girl a pizza place they drop Place.
Obviously, a lot of meetings went into that. They drop that, and it's just Two Guys, a Girl.
And then that show ends after four years, I think. Is that right? Yeah, 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 Lampoon? Right, yeah, Van Wilder. 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. Like people, again, they point out, but what was your, 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? What were you thinking? Did you, in your wildest dreams, think, I'm going to become this? Your Van Wilder.
Yeah, great. Really nice, Sean.
Thanks. Really, really nice.
That's great. But what was that? What was that? Was it just day to day? Because 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... No.
Could you have imagined that you would achieve the success? Did you guys have plans? No. I don't know.
I was too dumb for a plan but me too i i was 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 my father's son like you know lunch pail actor like i need another like a job that i know will last right this movie thing is stupid you know right right um so i yeah i was always looking for the show i was always trying to get back into sitcom i think i still am well but but i'll bet you i mean you're you're just you're you're too you're too skilled and experienced now and clear on i think where you want to 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. But 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 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 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'd plug your ears if you don't want to hear it, but from working with you and knowing you, I know that that that enthusiasm slash ambition comes not only from just wanting to 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, 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, this business, it's not solo stuff.
And you, you're just, it's really admirable how graceful you are with, with people that you work with. You're just, you're a kind leader.
You get how hard people work around you. Well, I love working with people.
I love collaborating. You've got great skin.
Beautiful skin. Thank you.
Dewy skin. I sort of phrase it like that, but it's forever.
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You know, as somebody like, I consider myself an optimistic person. As Downey always says, nobody wakes up in the morning happier to be himself more than you.
And it's true. But you do seem like you're an optimistic guy in that you do have a great sort of positive look on life.
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 down? Like you must have things that sort of seep in.
What pisses you off? What pisses you off? When does it get dark?

Right?

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, you know.

It keeps me warm at night, yeah.

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 braised, medium heat.

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 Bierko. Craig Bierko

There's... 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 Bierko. Craig Bierko's hilarious.
I love that. 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 walked in the middle of the... Right.

Isn't that crazy?

That was the Phipps, the Phipps, Phipps Plaza or Lennox.

Yeah. And we were, 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 idiot.

Yeah, I do too.

And I was like, oh my God, I'm going upstairs to watch your movie right now, The Green Lantern.

And you're like, good luck.

And I think I warned you. I said, don't do it.

Save your tickets. Don't do it.
I will hand 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 was so funny.
So forget about like Hollywood for a second. and share with us how someone might be in a similar position somewhere in life professionally

that was a part of something that didn't meet expectations or, or, 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, not to cut you off, but 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. Yes, Sean.
You know, I think like 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, you know, 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, you know, at the time it really hurt because I realized that it was, I let a lot of people down. It sort of felt like, when it's you in the public discourse about that, everything feels much bigger than it actually is.
So I felt a little bit like I'd let people down. People really loved that character and I didn't love that feeling.
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 going to be, my way or 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 helped shape some of these points of view.
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, use this 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. That is so fun.
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 never, 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, it's a, it's actually kind of a great, uh, way to go through life. If you don't take yourself too seriously, then this, 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,

he would, you know, he'd be like, holy shit, you're living like the life of Riley here. Like, come on.
Yeah. Sean, what would your dad say? My dad would say, what's your name? 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 this show. My dad canceled Christmas one year.
I'm not kidding. He said Christmas is canceled.
And it's just like, to this day, it 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 just she's such an angel don't describe his wife as an angel straight from heaven straight from heaven just say when did you meet blake like a normal fucking person but i want to know how what the little what the wings flapping did for his life and his career um and then children did it change anything or did it just complicate stuff and affect your overhead? No, no, no.
That's my overhead. This is the only fucking guy on earth who would look at a family as overhead.
I know, it's so true, yes. Where's the line item for daughter? Now, I met Blake on the darkest crease in the anus of the universe called Green Lantern, and we were friends and buddies and then um about a year and a half later we actually went out 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 i was on a date with someone and and we hung out and kind of you know we were 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 let's i'll i'll ride with you we got on the train and rode together and and then it happened on the train i was just begging her to sleep with me who made the first move was it you yes yeah yeah and how did that how let's so let's get into that what what does the 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're 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 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 i would use a little bit of tear sticks so i get the tears kind of rolling you know you can gently sort of put it underneath your eyelids and then i would tell a little sob story about my life and about my hardship my eastern block hardship upbringing about how important And your virginity is to you? Yeah.
Did you use that? Yeah. Oh, my God, of course.
Yeah. Like, as soon as I was in love, I was like, listen, we're not sticking together, all right? It's not happening.
So you guys were friends. So how long after you started dating, so you're friends, then you start dating, how long were you guys like, this is it, 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.
No, 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, it sure is.
Two kids, yes? Three. Three.
Three daughters. Wow.
Three daughters. Thanks, Bateman.
No, listen, you know. You couldn't throw a little Google search in there while we were talking here no way to alienate Ryan yeah

right I want to ask you

to do something

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

Thank you. the one i haven't this is your quote which i love i have anxiety yes you do it says to all those like me who over schedule overthink overwork over worry and over everything please know you're not alone i love that why i and 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, you know, I see anxiety as sort of a, you know, an engine in a way sometimes for creativity, but it also has its like, you know, 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, you know, there's a lot of insomnia associated, a lot of sleepless nights where you're laying awake, overanalyzing everything, and it's very hard to turn one's brain off. Right.
You know, so that's where you start 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 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 were going to step on the wrong spot and it was just going to 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 right space that may or may not happen so you know so relate but then in this business you know 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 comedy is a little bit like that there's it's it's a music and it's you're thinking and how do i you know come 90 degrees to expectation in this moment and that's you know it's all kind of born of that same thing those wheels that just sort of don't shut off you know i think that that anxiety when you can't turn it off when you can't turn your brain off that that is one form and i know that sean struggles with his anxiety because he can't turn his brain on and that's that gives him a lot of...
Well, my cord won't reach far enough to the outlet. Right.
It's just, I walk a certain, if I walk anywhere further than 10 feet, the plug comes out of the wall. Yeah, does this, will 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? 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. Yeah.
What's going on? What happened? Who pissed somebody off? You know, Hugh Jackman is, I really shouldn't say this, but he is, he really is a family podcast, by the way, okay? I know. He makes, like, kindness look like murder.
I mean, he really is just the nicest guy you'd ever meet. However.
And that drives me nuts sometimes. No, there's no but, unfortunately.
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. No, 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. He does, he reciprocates, of course, because he's nothing if not a sportsman.
Yeah. And, um, and that's, that's kind of it.
But in, in, in reality though, he is, uh, he is like my kind of life Sherpa. He's 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.
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? He's so great. Isn't he the best? I'm like that Chris Farley sketch with him.
I was like, remember when you were Neil Diamond in Songwriters of Storytos? You guys are doing a movie together?

I'm going to 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 has 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, a link.

A link.

Streamed directly into your face.

When does it get strummed?

Christmas.

It's Christmas.

This Christmas.

No, next Christmas.

We finish around Christmas.

2022.

Is there a Christmas theme to it?

Yeah.

It's a Christmas musical.

Wow.

You know, like who wrote the music?

Oh, here we go.

Pasek and Paul.

Justin Paul and Benji Pasek.

Oh, they're fantastic. La La Land and Greatest Showman and Evan Hansen.
And they're just... Yeah, they're amazing.
Ugh, amazing. Amazing.
Best songwriters ever. Yeah.
That's great. Yeah, they wrote the songs for real singers.
That's the problem. Oh, okay.
So we're... But you sing.
So how do you think it's going, your camp? Are you... Do you want to 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, what would, what would our listener be surprised to learn that you do when you are not, uh, being, uh, philanthropic or, uh, a key member of the entertainment industry? What do you do to, unlike McElhaney, me and, and, and will, we, 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? It is.
Like you go out and you just walk. Yeah, you walk.
You know, I will typically, 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.

Yeah.

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 don't know where you are.
This is where I live. Oh, wait.
Have I seen this house? No, you moved, I think, from 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 for the one? Oh, is this the... Are you here on a play date? Was the third for just like emergency harvestable organs, or did you want the third? Jason turns to Blake and goes, 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 have like a...
Is she boo? We, I don't think I've called her the same thing twice in 20 years. Wow.
And my kid's the same thing. It drives them nuts.
Whatever it is, it works, though. I guess.
You know what's so funny? 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. 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.
Blake always busts my balls about this, because I can never just say... I did a movie this last year with Dwayne Johnson, but I always say Dwayne the Rock Johnson.
Sure. 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, like, it's just, 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. Have you ever noticed that they go, matter of fact, Will, we were over there at, we're out in Dedham, Will.
And Will, we've seen the other guy there, Will. And you're like, stop using my name so much.
You know what I'll do? Let's go through things that we hate that people say, like little pet peeves. Are we ready? Because 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 announcers.

Stop saying without a doubt or without question.

They constantly, constantly go on.

Well, without question there, you know, the Leafs are, 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 confirmational

right in the middle of the thing.

So when you're walking down

the street, right, you're thinking

about how nice it is,

right? And right

is getting very overused nowadays.

Ryan? The one that just cripples

me, though, is Guy.

Hey, Guy.

Hey, Guy. Can I have a...
But we did that for years. Jason and I did it, and we used to...
It's in a few episodes of Arrested Development where we'll turn to each other and we'll go, Hey, Guy. I've heard you say that, Jason, in a comedy context.
Because I love it because it's like, you may as well just say like,

hey, Peanuts hooked up to a life support system.

What, 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 everybody?

Oh, Kingdom.

Kingdom.

Jason has 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 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 doesn't like the speeding. It's his throwaways though.
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. Hey, gang.
Just like saying, even if it's a single person. Yeah, I like saying gang.
Gang, we're going to want to. Yeah, we're going to.
Guns hot is the one I still use from the change-up. When Leslie Mann rolls over and passes a little gas in the bed and Jason, who's now me, my psyche, he's a J.
But he goes, hey, you're going to come at me guns hot? Huh? We all say it. Sean Levy says it.
We all say it all the time. I mean, literally all the time.
I've got to see that movie again. I really like that, I feel like.
I've not seen it since we saw it in La Kenyatta or something. 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. Sean, what do you hate that people say? No, it'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.
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Did you purposely not respond to Bateman because you were just like, fuck it, he doesn't deserve it. Yeah, let's get back to this.

Now, here's what I'm going to say.

Here's a generous interpretation of the series of events.

I think it is, let's blame it on Apple.

Apple has a problem with texting.

You cannot mark a text as unread.

Because if you read a text and then you 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 there's no reminder that that text came in later and you could go months without responding to it and then seem well hurtful um i guess 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, when 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.
No, I'll take it going. 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 hear that podcast and then i started to then i fell in love with the podcast and i made it worse this last time when you asked you had someone on that was like me and i was like oh then i can do this ah yeah now i was it who was it who was it who was not tina fey tell you that fucking much she drove it she's good she doesn't miss a lot of things no nobody was met.
It was just one of those 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. Yeah.
I mean, you know, when you're homeschooling kids, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this. How did they do? They had a tough time, man.
I was like seeking out external help left, right. And so I was reading books.
I was like trying to figure out some way to steer the ship. 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 and you're stuck at home. And I think maybe that's a little bit of what you're saying is like, 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 really make meditation a practice.

I know it's 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 remember in the change-up, we'd work together and be like,

did you get your 14 hours?

Granddad does know how to stay down pretty good. 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 scream yeah that's uh mouth wide jaw unhinged the mouth is so wide open no sound coming out yeah yeah yeah ryan where do you see so now you got these three kids you got all this stuff you're meditating you're you're becoming a complete person you're obviously drinking gin all day because you own a booze company married toried 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, I've 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, oh, 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. So 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 go back and forth you guys alternate yeah she'll yeah she'll do a film and i'll just be you know with her on on location hanging with the kids so you you take 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 they're in school so we can't really leave yeah it starts to change when your kids my older kids are 10 and 12 and you and you start to say you have to make decisions based on it and people know everywhere who have kids that you make decisions based on what works for your family.
My dad had the same philosophy around it. Just take me with him wherever he goes.
Oh wait, no I'm kidding. Wow.
You guys have, Jason I know you have two kids. Will you have? Three.
Three. I have three boys.
And Sean, do you have? One dog. One dog.
Less. Yeah.
Did you guys ever, I mean, I never imagined to have three. Yeah, three, yeah.
Will, three? That's like, that's. Three boys.
But I have 10, 12, 10, and one. My youngest just turned one.
And yeah, it's, you know, it changes everything because everything starts there. That's your baseline.
So it's what works for the kids. It's everything.
It's where you live, what you do, what jobs you take, when you take holidays. It's all geared around.
But how different is three from the jump from two to three? I just like,

I was researching like a blowtorch vasectomy after the third.

I was like,

this is,

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.

But then I also think like,

why,

who am I to deprive the world?

Careful. Of more.
Well, just me. Yeah.
Well, just hear me out. But then I also think, like, who am I to deprive the world of more?

Well, just me.

Yeah, well, just hear me out, you guys.

Look, this shit is no fucking fluke.

Yeah, look at you.

So why would I?

But it is hard.

I do think that, though, sometimes when somebody I love and admire doesn't ever have kids,

I think, oh, those amazing genes aren't messed down. Yeah, well, thank you.
Let me tell you something, though. Thank you.
You're welcome. I think that the reason why...
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, I'm so tired. Oh, kids.
I have to figure it out. And so growing 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 no you can't imagine not i can't remember not having kids now.
Right. not having kids now.
Right. 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 you were out.
You were out of the game. Yeah.
And you threw yourself back in there there and guess what? Your chassis's not holding up.

Chassis's so gross. I hate when you say that word.

You know, I said this, Ryan, before

on the pockets, but I read this quote

a long time ago that 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.

Well, you gotta consider the source.

Who the fuck was she? You know what I mean?

It's my mom.

Oh no! Just brim full of sloshy hate. Well, you got to consider the source.
Who the fuck was she? You know what I mean? It's my mom. Oh, no.

Just brim full of sloshy hate.

Sean.

No, I know, Sean.

We've talked about it before a few times,

and 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 is the last time you and Scotty talked about it, though? I mean, come on. Probably like a couple years ago.
It's only us listening here. Two years ago.
A couple years ago. Will you guys talk about it again? Just take it up the flagpole again today over lunch or something.
It's pretty 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 I know I would be like a great dad. I just want 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 Scotty would be incredible.
Oh, my God. Sean...
Maybe 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.
Because 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 is the ultimate thing not to have kids? And his thing is, like, maybe that's just not for us. We don't want, we don't, I 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 really monopolized your time, and you've got freaky people.
Hold on, hold on. I'm not ready yet.
Not ready yet. Okay, guys.
I'm going to ask you each one thing, because you guys are all people that I, lesser and greater extents, think less of now. Worship.
I love you guys so much. I love your work.
What is your most fulfilling job that you've ever had? What is the one that you look back on? It doesn't have to be in Showbiz. John Hess, you go first.
Well, the most fulfilling job I've ever had is probably Will and Grace, of course. I mean, that happens to be the biggest job I've ever had, too.
Bird in flight on that. Oh, thanks.
But speaking of anxiety, a lot of people thought, you know, I came in like a ferret on cocaine all the time as that character. And I think it's because of my anxiety.
Because a lot of people are like, oh, you're so funny. You have so much energy.
Because I 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, I could literally see you bursting through that door on that set.

It's just, I just said it.

I mean, it's like seeing a bird in flight.

Well, thanks.

That guy's meant to do this.

Yes, well, to answer 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 it'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 uh i would say i don't know i'm i'm a i'm really deeply deeply deeply in love with directing um right now and so the i would say the first film that i directed bad words was probably really uh exciting exciting for me.
Shot by Ken Sang. Ken Sang.
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'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 open 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.

I 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 I met my little angel first fluttered into my life, Jason and it's been a lifelong yeah, arrested? I love you. I love you.
Ryan, your greatest, was it two girls and a guy? Two guys and a girl. Two girls and a girl.
Girls. Oh, my God.
The show, the show, the show, the show. The show.
You just did what I did. So sorry.
So go ahead. Oh, God.
I loved, I did love doing a stick. I loved two guys, a girl, and a pizza.
But I remember I kind of like, I worked with 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 relate to this, but I was very Canadian on stage. I was very like, oh, I got to make sure I'm not too much.
I'll give these other guys. I want everyone has their moment, you know.
And he came out and he's just like, hey, man, fucking take the stage. You take the stage.
Take it. It's yours.
It doesn't 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 Deadpool 2 just because, like, two just because like it almost killed me i mean it was like a you know i was chewing and blowing bubbles with every aspect of it and i 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 when you know yeah it was a learn so much you know it's just like being involved in the guts of a big movie it wasn't a big movie we shot it on nothing but it was still from the outside it seems like that was a a part in a movie and a thing that really was probably shifted everything for you I can see how it was huge and that genre too but it wasn't just a huge hit you were really 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 as Canada, right?

Despite this tricky two country name.

Yes, it's, it is Canadian.

Are you close to, I'm joking, but do you, 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 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 um it's uh it's a it's a tricky spot how does that go again i told that when tina was on i said the canadian lobster fishermen and the american lobster fishermen walking down the road and one the american says aren't you you got uh notice you don't have a lid on your lobster pot thereby aren't you worried about your lobsters getting out and the canadian says no these here are canadian lobsters one of them tries to get out the other ones will pull them back down. And I always say, like, that's Canada.

I caught the Newfie accent there, though. The Newfoundland accent.
Pretty good, right? Yeah. Thanks to everybody.
Thank you, everybody. I have to apologize to the people of Prince Edward Island because 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 Smartless podcast.
And they're like, what? We didn't know and shut up and we don't follow what you say, dude. But, you know, Ryan, you and I ought to do a tour of Canada, just like a coming home tour.
And we'll just like a parade. Absolutely.
Let's get in the car. Yeah, okay.
Let's get in Sean's Toyota Corolla and see how far we can get before my Nissan Sentra 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 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've never heard him say that.

Thanks, Ryan. All right, pal.
Thanks, guys. Take it easy.
Have a great rest of the day. You will.
Bye, Ryan. Bye, guys.
God, I really like that, Ryan. I really...
All you Canadians are so nice. Why is that? When does it get dark? Is there...
Is there going to be like a series of... Like September through April.
Uh-oh.

It gets real dark. Does that coincide with hockey season or the opposite?

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...

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. There's no entitlement

And 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 a pleasure.
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 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. It's the same reason I'm sure that Ryan did.
Like, you can, there's only so much that you can do, sort of, and Canada's such an amazing place. I knew so many, I mean, so many funny, talented, incredible people who are from Canada who moved here.
Cause it's just, there's just more, it's just bigger and you know, 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, the divide, you know, you just turn on the news and all this stuff is happening.
And it seems like from the outside, Canada doesn't have that. 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.
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 a 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 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? No, 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 asked the question because Ryan seems to embody everything that Will is saying.
Oh my God, he 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? Finite number of minutes in my day to enjoy.
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. That's what shock looks like.
So, listen, this guy, Ryan Reynolds. He's something else, isn't he he 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 that he understands i guess you know what 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...
We didn't even get to his mobile phone company that he owns. I know.
He owns a fucking mobile phone company. And you know, when you call somebody through his cellular phone, you start and end the conversation.
No, no, no, you cannot end this right now. I don't even need a telescope.
I can just see it coming right here. Go ahead.
You start the conversation by saying hi, but how do you end it? Oh, you say bye-bye. Bye-bye.
Smart. Less.
Smart. Less.
Hey, friends. Jason here.

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