Hugh Jackman has shared his “one little gripe” about working with his Deadpool and Wolverine co-star Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds, 48, is known for being a high-energy prankster, often sharing sarcastic and biting comments about his co-stars and loved ones, including his wife Blake Lively. Jackman is perceived as more stoic and serious, often playing more intense roles.
The two joined forces as the sardonic superhero Deadpool entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the first time in Deadpool and Wolverine last year. The film broke box office records upon its release and boasted one of the most-viewed trailers of all time, racking up 365 million views in 24 hours.
“Don’t tell Ryan,” Jackman said conspiratorially onstage at his live show at New York City Hall, in footage obtained by the Daily Mail. The Greatest Showman star was hosting his musical review, From New York, With Love.
He explained that the actors had been inseparable during the film, appearing together in every scene except for the opening in which Reynolds’ superhero performs a since-viral dance number to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”. Jackman said he “loved” working with Reynolds and had the “time of my life” but joked that he felt betrayed by the decision.
“Now that’s fine, I don’t need to be in every scene in the movie,” he reasoned. “But Ryan is a writer. And when I see the script, I see that the scene that I’m not in is the opening sequence, which is a dance number to an NSYNC song by Ryan.
“I’m like, the one scene I’m not in has dance. Now Ryan, he’s very talented, but dancing? There is no way I would try and match Ryan’s dance double Nick Pauley, because the guy’s like 25 years old.”
He then brought out his personal choreographer, Beth Lewis, to perform “the dance that got away”, dancing to the same Noughties classic.
Directed by Night at the Museum maker Shawn Levy, the film follows the superheroes as they begrudgingly team up to defeat a threat to their home universe.
The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey was left unimpressed by the film, calling it a “tedious and annoying corporate merger of a film”, and assigning it a paltry two stars.
