“Matthew Lawrence dishes on Ryan Reynolds’ wild Boltneck days and his rise to Deadpool fame. Drama unfolds!”
Was Ryan Reynolds a Chaos Agent on the “Boltneck” Set?
Picture this: Matthew Lawrence, a seasoned child actor, spilling the tea on his “Brotherly Love Podcast” about a young, unruly Ryan Reynolds during the filming of “Boltneck” in 2000.
“The production team was having a really hard time with Ryan,” Lawrence dished, tossing in a quick note that this was “young Ryan”—a rookie still finding his footing in Hollywood’s wild jungle.
Did Reynolds Lack Focus Back in the Day?
Lawrence, with years of set experience under his belt, noticed Reynolds wasn’t quite “dialed in.”
While Lawrence had been navigating cameras since he was a kid, Reynolds seemed to stumble, leaving the crew scratching their heads.
It wasn’t malice—just a guy not yet synced with the filmmaking rhythm.
What Rubbed the Producers the Wrong Way?
Here’s where it gets juicy. Reynolds, apparently channeling his inner Jim Carrey, strutted onto set doing his own thing. The producers weren’t having it.
“Ryan, this is a bad Jim Carrey impersonation,” they snapped. “This isn’t what we hired you for.
Stop mimicking and start creating!” But Reynolds? He bristled, firing back with a defiant, “I’m doing my thing.”
What Was “Boltneck” Even About?
In case you’re wondering, “Boltneck” follows Lawrence as Frank Stein—a nerdy teen who accidentally kills his classmate (yep, that’s Reynolds) after some brutal bullying, only to resurrect him Frankenstein-style.
Dark, twisted, and primed for drama, right? Well, the producers thought so too—envisioning a vibe closer to “Donnie Darko.”
Why Did Reynolds Go Off-Script?
But Reynolds had other plans. Instead of brooding darkness, he tried to sprinkle humor into the role—think “Deadpool” vibes years before Deadpool was a thing.
Lawrence, reflecting on it, isn’t salty. “I’m not even mad at Ryan,” he said with a shrug.
“He stayed true to who he is authentically.” Early signs of that wise-cracking charisma, perhaps?
Did the Director Try to Rein Him In?
Oh, there were talks. Lawrence peeked into a tense meeting between the director and Reynolds, where the latter’s performance took center stage.
With a crew fresh off an Oscar nod for “Gods and Monsters,” the stakes felt sky-high. Frustration bubbled over as they wrestled with their maverick star.
Who Were the Big Shots Behind the Scenes?
Speaking of “Gods and Monsters,” producers Paul Colichman and Mark R. Harris brought serious cred to “Boltneck.”
That film, starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser, snagged three Oscar noms and a win for Best Adapted Screenplay.
No wonder they bristled at Reynolds’ antics—they weren’t used to such rebellion!
Did They Blame Reynolds for the Film’s Flop?
Lawrence dropped a bombshell: the producers pinned “Boltneck’s” failure squarely on Reynolds.
“There was this whole conflict,” he claimed, suggesting the clash of visions tanked the project.
A bold accusation—but was it fair, or just sour grapes?
Were They Ready to Give Up on Him?
Here’s the kicker. The crew, despite their high hopes, nearly wrote Reynolds off. “We thought this guy was going nowhere,” they grumbled.
Lawrence chuckled at that on the podcast, marveling at how wrong they were, given Reynolds’ current reign as the “Deadpool & Wolverine” king.
Has Reynolds Grown Since Then?
Wrapping up, Lawrence kept it real. “That was just my experience with him,” he said, adding that Reynolds “obviously matured as a human being.”
No grudges here—just a nostalgic nod to a wild chapter in a now-iconic career.
Fox News Digital reached out to Lawrence, Reynolds, and the producers for comments, but no word back yet.
What Else Spiced Up the Podcast?
Oh, and there’s more! The episode doubled as a recap of the sizzling drama between Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, and her “It Ends with Us” co-star/director Justin Baldoni. Talk about a jam-packed chat!
Boltneck Highlights
- Film: “Boltneck” (2000)
- Stars: Matthew Lawrence as Frank Stein, Ryan Reynolds as the resurrected classmate
- Producers: Paul Colichman and Mark R. Harris, Oscar-nominated for “Gods and Monsters”
- Tone Clash: Aimed for “Donnie Darko” darkness, got Reynolds’ humor instead
- Reynolds Now: From “going nowhere” to “Deadpool” superstardom