Nothing makes watching an early ’00s movie better than hearing previously unheard-of behind-the-scenes stories from the stars. BeforeRyan Reynoldsstarredin Superhero films, he was one of the most popular actors to snag a leading role in a romantic comedy.One of his fan-favorite rolescame from the 2005 rom-comJust Friends. During an interview, Reynolds revealed that one of the few times he feared he’d end up in jail was actually while filming the movie in Regina, Saskatchewan. He and the art department pulled a prank, and well, they got in trouble.
When he told the story,theDeadpoolactorwas a guest on the latestConan O’Brien Needs a Friendpodcast episode. “It’s one of my few times that I’ve ever been scared of going to jail, because we, just as a joke, me and the art department, we made a sign that would go over, it would snap over the ‘Welcome to Regina,’ sign,” he said. “And it just said ‘Welcome to Regina, which rhymes with fun.’ And I got in trouble though.“Conan O’Brien and this teamthought this was pretty hilarious, and after he pulled himself together, O’Brien said, “You got in trouble?”
According toEW, Reynolds and the art department got lucky because the town’s officials thought it was brilliant. “They thought it was funny because it snapped off,” the actor added. “So at first it was vandalism, and then it was class.” Vandalism is, indeed, a crime and, depending on the location, can lead to someone being taken to jail.Reynolds' star statusalsocould’ve played a partin this being humorous rather than a fine or jailable offense. O’Brien added that since the sign had broken off and wasn’t some sort of permanent thing, it became “an art installment that could come down.”
Just Friends’plot focuses on Chris Brander(Reynolds), a guy slimmer than his high school size, who is madly in love with his best friend, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). In high school, in an attempt to free himself from the friend zone, Brander writes in Jamie’s yearbook, confessing his love for her. Jamie’s then-boyfriend read the message out loud, humiliating Chris as Jamie reveals she didn’t feel the same. Brander declared that he would be more successful than all his classmates as he tearfully left, which the story picks up ten years later.
‘Just Friends’ Has a Following but Isn’t Critically Acclaimed
The New Line Cinema movieisn’t popular among critics, which might not be shocking to those who loathe this kind of romantic comedy.Just Friendshas a Rotten Tomatoes rating of just 42%, while TV Guide gave it a 47%. Alongside Reynolds and Smart, the cast alsoincludes Anna Faris, Chris Klein, Christopher Marquette, Julie Hagerty, and more. Not all the reviews were bad, though. Richard Propes of TheIndependentCritic.com called it “an unexpectedly enjoyable film featuring fine performances from Amy Smart, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Klein, and Julie Hagerty.“Just Friendsonly grossed over $50 million at the box office, which isn’t massive, but that didn’t stop the film fromgrowing a following over time.
Just Friends
