Quentin Tarantino is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers, but he recently drawn the ire of some fans due to comments he made. Tarantino shaded Paul Dano on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast last week, calling him “the weakest fucking actor in SAG.” Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard also caught some strays from the Kill Bill director, with Tarantino saying he doesn’t care for them as actors. Now, Lillard is being hyped up in a new commercial from none other than Ryan Reynolds.
A number of Tarantino's peers, including The Batman director Matt Reeves, showed support for Paul Dano after those comments went viral. Meanwhile, Matthew Lillard opened up about how much Tarantino's comments hurt him. Now, in comes Ryan Reynolds and co. with a new Mint Mobile commercial, which just happens to feature Lillard and sing his praises. Take a look:
If Ryan Reynolds knows how to do anything flawlessly, it's capitalizing on a pop culture-centric moment. The Deadpool actor has made ads with Nick Cannon poking fun at the reality host’s fathering of 12 children (8 at the time of the ad) and, more recently, he made an ad for Astronomer after Coldplay-gate, featuring Chris Martin’s ex, Gwyneth Paltrow. So it seems on brand that at a time when Lillard is a hot topic, Reynolds felt compelled to feature the beloved actor in a national ad campaign for his billion-dollar wireless company.
What's important to note, though, is that neither Reynolds nor Lillard mention Quentin Tarantino by name in the video. However, this ad came out only a week after the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director’s comments were published. Also, in the commercial, Lillard makes a joke alluding to not being unanimously loved as an actor.
Still, the She’s All That alum seems to be aware that he has a very loyal fanbase. Even though it’s a joke, it hurts my heart to hear Lillard say he’s not loved. During a Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 screening, the FNAF actor told the audience he was not popular in Hollywood, and it honestly makes me sad he believes that.
While the most the FNAF sequel didn’t get great reviews, many of Lillard's movies remain beloved classics, from Scooby-Doo to Scream. And, over the years, he's given unforgettable goofy, crazy, and sometimes creepy performances. The comments on Reynolds' X account certainly prove that both Lillard and Reynolds have their admirers:
- Matthew Lillard really is a legend - @braveheart_89
- Timing is everything. Both these men are amazing. - @1010pm
- Amazing! Ryan you’re so clever. Love you both! - @vanessa_voom
- Matthew Lillard is a beloved actor for dozens of roles! Now also for this commercial. Zoinks! - @RussellFosterTX
- You two should be in a movie together. It would be chaotic goodness - @deadautism
- Ryan Reynolds knows what the people want, love this commercial for Matthew Lillard. - @JJCiname
Something positive to pull from this whole situation is that Matthew Lillard has experienced an outpouring of love from his fans, and it's lovely to see the SLC Punk! actor receive it. Fans can check out Lillard now in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, which is now playing in theaters. Also, the actor will return as Stu Macher in the upcoming Scream 7, which is set to hit theaters on February 27 amid the 2026 movie schedule.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
