Ryan Reynolds Recalls Meeting 'Friend and Favorite Actor’ Hugh Jackman in Touching Tribute: 'I Was a Nervous Mess'

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.Photo:Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

Deadpool and Wolverine may have a friendship for the ages, but nothing compares to the love betweenRyan ReynoldsandHugh Jackman!

Continuing his streak ofsharing Instagram tributesto each actor who appeared in the duo’s blockbuster filmDeadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds, 47, penned a message for Jackman that detailed his first impression of the actor when they met over a decade ago.

“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.”

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine.Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/MARVEL

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 Proposalactor 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.”

Ryan Reynolds (left) and Hugh Jackman (middle) in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’.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’sX-Men Origins: Wolverinein 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.”

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

“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 & Wolverineis currently in theaters.

source: people.com