Nathan Fillion Once Said He Stole a Lot of Jokes From Ryan Reynolds After Working With Him
Ryan Reynolds and The Rookie actor Nathan Fillion have a history together. The two starred in the short-lived sitcom Two Guys and a Girl and continued to keep in touch even after the series ended. But Fillion once confided how working with Reynolds continued to influence his career over the years.
Nathan Fillion used Ryan Reynolds’ old jokes on his shows
Two Guys and a Girl was quite different from the projects Fillion used to do. The series was simply about a couple of college students navigating their everyday lives. Although Reynolds was originally one of the show’s main stars, Fillion wasn’t. He was promoted to series regular after making a few impressionable appearances on the show.
“I did 10 episodes with them, and they invited me back as a regular. And I did two seasons,” Fillion once told Backstage.
It was one of Fillion’s first major projects coming off the soap opera One Life to Live, which couldn’t have been more different from the sitcom. Two Guys helped Fillion further hone his comedic chops, which have served him well throughout his career. It also gave Fillion the adrenaline rush of performing for an actual crowd.
”He wasn’t that good a handyman, and it turns out he was really cheap,” he told Entertainment Weekly about his character. “In other words, he was flawed, and what that show taught me was the kind of comedy gold that could be mined from a flaw. Two Guys and a Girl gave me what I had been missing from One Life to Live — the live audience. I love that energy, that visceral reaction of the audience there with you.”
His time on the show left such an impact that he continued mining it for material. In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fillion confided how he’d reference past projects on his shows. Two Girls and a Girl was one of them.
“Let’s just say that any time I can give a shoutout with a Firefly reference, I will. I’ve also given shoutouts to One Life to Live. I’ve also stolen lots of jokes from Ryan Reynolds from Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. I’m a plethora of stolen jokes and kitschy references,” he said.
Ryan Reynolds and Nathan Fillion went on to both play the same superhero
Reynolds and Fillion both saw massive success after their time on Two Guys. Eventually, their careers would experience another connection thanks to the superhero Green Lantern. Reynolds starred as the character in the 2011 titular film. Although Fillion was very keen on the role, he felt Reynolds was more than a perfect match for Hal Jordan.
“The fact is, Ryan Reynolds has been chosen for Green Lantern, and I can’t think of anyone better. He’s got the look, he’s got the talent, he’s got the chops, he’s got the build, the abs — he’s got superhero written all over him,” he once told MTV News (via SciFi Now).
At the time, Fillion saw himself in more of a supporting role than a lead in a superhero feature.
“I’m a little more like [a] sidekick; I’m a little more comic relief, whereas I know Ryan is going to handle [the role] beautifully,” he added. “Ryan knows exactly what he’s doing and having worked with him for over two years, I know how he handles himself. I know how he attacks things, and I’m a big fan.”
However, Fillion would go on to voice Green Lantern in several animated movies like Emerald Knights. He was recently cast as a live action Green Lantern in James Gunn’s Superman, although as a different character than Hal Jordan.
They might not have shared the screen together just yet. But they can add the DC sci-fi hero to the long list of things they have in common.
Ryan Reynolds would like to do a ‘Two Guys and a Girl’ reunion
Reynolds hasn’t forgotten about the sitcom or his former castmates. The Deadpool star keeps in contact with them, including Fillion, quite frequently.
“Even yesterday I spoke with Nathan Fillion and Traylor Howard,” Reynolds told Inverse not too long ago.
He had such a high opinion of the show and his co-stars that he wouldn’t be opposed to doing a reunion even now.
“I would do that in a heartbeat. That was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had in my life. Truly. I mean it. I loved every second of it,” he said.
With so many sitcoms getting reunion episodes nowadays, maybe one day Two Guys can follow the trend.
