Deadpool and Wolverine may have a friendship for the ages, but nothing compares to the love between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman!
Continuing his streak of sharing Instagram tributes to each actor who appeared in the duo’s blockbuster film Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds, 47, penned a message for Jackman that detailed his first impression of the actor when they met over a decade ago.
Reynolds began the Sunday, Aug. 18, post by recalling the moment he and Jackman decided to bring their latest Marvel film to the big screen.
“On August 14th, 2022, @thehughjackman stopped his car to call me,” the actor wrote. “He’d been having a crappy week… he’d had the flu, two flat tires and some random idiot egged his house. But what happened next, happened fast. He told me he wanted to bring The Wolverine back.”
Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/MARVEL
“Months later, he not only brought Wolvie back into the light, he’d (at long last) wear the iconic yellow suit,” Reynolds added, referring to the comic book-accurate costume Jackman, 55, sports in the film.
Reynolds went on to say that he and the movie’s director, Shawn Levy, “were feeling a TON of pressure” as they worked on the film — even though they “didn’t talk about it much.”
The actor-director duo was “worrying about how we walk these characters into the MCU” and “worrying about all of our secret characters STAYING secret — along with so many moving parts,” but Jackman put their worries to rest.
“… when Hugh stepped onto set in THAT SUIT… everyone knew something special was happening. I remember thinking everything was gonna be okay,” The Proposal actor said.
“For months of filming and 100 years of editing and post production, I had a front row seat to WOLVERINE. Watching and learning from my friend and favourite actor,” Reynolds continued, before joking, “Two things can be true: 1) Sometimes I eat too much sugar, and secretly egg his house so I can feel something. And 2) I can be both a fan and friend, simultaneously.”
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Then, Reynolds turned back time far beyond August 2022, recalling the moment he first met Jackman on the set of 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Sydney in 2007.
“Back then he was already a movie star and I walked onto set a supporting actor,” the actor wrote. “Showing up midway through production isn’t too dissimilar to starting a new school. I was a nervous mess.”
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“Film sets can have a scary imbalance of power and I remember seeing how he treated every member of the crew with genuine respect and appreciation,” he continued. “He made a case that the term ‘filmmaker’ isn’t just for people with their name on the poster.”
The star began wrapping up the tribute by writing that he doesn’t “know anyone more thoughtful, and classy than Hugh.”
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“He’ll do anything for someone he loves. He’ll do anything for someone he just met,” he wrote. “In Deadpool & Wolverine Hugh didn’t just make dreams come true for fans of Wolverine. He made MY dreams come true too. He is THE X-Man.”
Reacting to the lengthy and heartfelt tribute, Jackman revealed that Reynolds’ words had tugged at his heartstrings. “And … I’m crying. Again,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently in theaters.
