The ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ actor talked about how he and his wife ‘really root for each other,’ even when their movies are facing off in ticket sales
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Ryan Reynolds is happy to share the box-office spotlight with Blake Lively.
The Deadpool & Wolverine star sat down with Willie Geist for a wide-ranging interview that airs in full on Sunday Today this weekend, where the host asked him what he thinks about how his blockbuster superhero film costarring Hugh Jackman is faring against his wife’s newly released romantic drama It Ends with Us.
“Despite your successful and happy marriage, you’re famously vicious professional rivals. So did you say to her, ‘I beat you by that much at the box office?’ ” asked Geist, 49, as seen in a preview from the duo’s Today chat on Friday, Aug. 16.
“The only time in my life I’ve ever dreamt of coming in second,” replied Reynolds, 47, “No, I think that’s the sign of a good relationship.”
“It’s always been the one kind of constant with Blake and I: We really root for each other,” he added.
While the earnings from It Ends with Us‘ second weekend in theaters have yet to be seen, the Justin Baldoni-directed romantic drama made $50 million domestically over its opening weekend after premiering on Aug. 9, Variety reported at the time.
Meanwhile, Deadpool & Wolverine, which opened two weeks earlier, raked in $54.2 million in domestic ticket sales, nudging ahead of It Ends with Us.
“Last week I walked around New York City with Hugh, and it was wild — it felt like we maybe saved a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 from a burning building or something,” Reynolds said of fan reaction to the film on Today, further noting, “People really, really found a lot of love and joy and happiness in the movie. And that’s the thing I’m most proud of.”
The occasion marked the first time in over 30 years that a married couple had their films top the box office, the outlet reported. The last celebrity couple to lock down the top two spots at the box office was in 1990 when Bruce Willis starred in Die Hard 2 and Demi Moore starred in Ghost, which earned the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.
Deadpool & Wolverine has ruled theaters for three weekends in a row, garnering $494.3 million domestically and over $1 billion globally as of the end of its third weekend, per Variety.
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Despite facing off at the box office, both Lively and Reynolds — who have been married since September 2012 and share four children — have been closely involved in and supportive of one another’s projects.
For the Gossip Girl alum, that support included a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine as Lady Deadpool (and red catsuit on the red carpet at the premiere!) and various praise-heavy posts on social media, addressed to her husband of nearly 12 years.
Reynolds, meanwhile, jokingly grilled his wife’s It Ends with Us love interest, Brandon Sklenar, in a purposely awkward interview, and even wrote a scene in the movie, according to his wife.
Deadpool & Wolverine and It Ends with Us are in theaters now.
