Ryan Reynolds recalls heated moment with Blake Lively during Bill Murray call for John Candy documentary

Ryan Reynolds recently shared a candid story about a tense but humorous moment with his wife, Blake Lively, during efforts to secure Bill Murray’s participation in the upcoming documentary John Candy: I Like Me. Speaking at the State Theatre New Jersey on September 25, the 48-year-old actor described the difficulty in contacting Murray, saying he left “about 40 messages” before finally hearing back, according to remarks reported during the Q&A session.

Reynolds explained that he eventually received Murray’s number from “a friend of a friend of a friend” and described the comedy legend’s voicemail as sounding like “a Greek shipping company.” The actor, who is also a producer on the project directed by Colin Hanks, admitted he grew desperate as filming deadlines approached.

During his appearance, Reynolds recounted that he and Lively were about to enter a gala event when Murray finally returned his call. Lively urged him to head inside, but Reynolds quipped that he responded with a blunt insult, highlighting how high the stakes felt in the moment. The audience erupted in laughter at his candid admission.

Reynolds went on to describe how he later enlisted the help of his young son to send a video plea to Murray, which ultimately convinced the actor to participate. The film also features contributions from Steve Martin, Martin Short, Macaulay Culkin, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Conan O’Brien, and Tom Hanks.

The event, billed as An Evening with Ryan Reynolds & Friends, also touched on Reynolds’ admiration for John Candy and the influence of Candy’s work on the Deadpool franchise. According to Reynolds, he personally pays out of pocket to reference Candy’s material in his films. The documentary is set to premiere October 10 on Amazon Prime Video.