Ryan Reynolds talks “terrible” audition for the Coen Brothers

A couple of years ago, Ryan Reynolds was going through a tough period as an actor: the first shot at Deadpool ended disastrously in X-Men Origins: Wolverine while a run of big flops, such Green Lantern, The Break Up and R.I.P.D did not help matters. But since the enormous success of Deadpool this year, Reynolds is now back on top.

Speaking on Variety’s Actors on Actors series, where he shared musings and anecdotes with Empire stars Taraji P. Henson, Reynolds spoke of his last audition which was, somewhat surprisingly, the Coen Brothers’ acclaimed comedy Inside Llewyn Davis. Recounting the audition, the Canadian actor reckons the Coens ended up making the right choice, saying:

“I auditioned and failed for the Coen Brothers…. It wasn’t the right fit, mostly because they’re very high class. They were just quietly shaking their heads, like, ‘What are you doing here? Do you have a SAG card or do you have the Canadian version?’”

While you have to applaud Reynolds for shooting for something a little different than what many expected of him around that time, it’s safe to say that Oscar Isaac as Llewyn Davis (presumably the role he auditioned for) was the better choice. For now, we wait with eager anticipation for the actor’s next three projects: sci-fi thriller Life with Jake Gyllenhaal; The Hitman’s Bodyguard opposite Samuel L. Jackson; and, of course Deadpool 2.