Ryan Reynolds shared a suitably irreverent message for former co-star Betty White as the showbiz veteran celebrated her 99th birthday on Sunday.
The Canadian actor is renowned for poking fun at his Hollywood peers, from long-standing “rival” Hugh Jackman to his own wife, Blake Lively, and in honour of the Golden Girls star’s big birthday, he shared a throwback clip that was oh so Ryan Reynolds.
He and Sandra Bullock worked with Betty on the 2009 film The Proposal, with Ryan posting a throwback comedy clip recorded behind the scenes of the rom-com.
“We made this 12 years ago,” he wrote alongside the video. “Betty White may be turning 99 today but she is [100 per cent] the funniest person on the planet.”
In the three-minute sketch, Betty is seen being her usual lovely self… to everyone except Ryan, that is, who she’s seen ordering about, swearing at and eventually showing up in front of the entire crew.
After pushing Ryan to his limit, he eventually starts yelling at Betty, only for her to turn the tables and pretend she doesn’t understand what’s going on.
He tells her: “You seem like an adorable, sweet old lady on the outside. But on the inside, you’re like this seething demon. Why don’t you suck a hot cock.”
The clip ends with Sandra giving Ryan a telling off, insisting: “No one knows who you are, Ryan! No one knows who you are. You say ‘Ryan Reynolds’, they have no idea who you are. Betty White – they know who Betty White is. Sandra Bullock – they know who Sandra Bullock is.
“We sell tickets. Nobody knows who you are, so shut up. Got it?”
Years later, Ryan would reference Betty White in another of his major films, with his Deadpool character harbouring a bit of an obsession with The Golden Girls.
Posting on Instagram on her big day over the weekend, Betty wrote: “Would you believe it?! It’s my 99th birthday which means I can stay up as late as I want without asking.
“I hope everyone is well and staying safe,” she added. “We will get through this.”