The Deadpool & Wolverine star, 48, was featured in Variety's 'Actors on Actors' series, where performers discuss their standout roles during awards season. Reynolds was paired with Andrew Garfield, known for his role in the romantic drama We Live in Time, opposite Florence Pugh.
After a critic on X questioned the pairing, citing the contrasting tones of Reynolds' irreverent Marvel character and Garfield’s emotionally heavy cancer-themed project, Reynolds responded, emphasizing the challenges of comedy acting.
'Andrew’s a genius. He and Florence are magic together in We Live in Time—heartbreaking, charming, and balancing humanity with constraint,' Reynolds wrote on X. 'And yes, I am Deadpool, but I’ll take a moment to defend comedy.'
He explained that while dramatic performances are designed to appear challenging, comedy requires an equally complex but often invisible effort. 'Comedy is very difficult,' Reynolds said. 'It’s meant to look effortless, hiding all the stitching and unstitching.'
Reynolds, who starred alongside Hugh Jackman in this year’s superhero sequel, called both comedy and drama 'beautiful disciplines' that rely on tension and emotional authenticity. 'Both thrive on subverting expectations and are deeply subjective,' he noted.
Disney submitted Deadpool & Wolverine for multiple award categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Reynolds, Best Supporting Actor for Jackman, and Best Adapted Screenplay (which Reynolds co-wrote).
Other participants in Variety’s 'Actors on Actors' series include Ariana Grande with Paul Mescal, Selena Gomez with Saoirse Ronan, Zendaya with Nicole Kidman, and Kate Winslet with Zoë Saldaña.
