After being shaded by Gerard Butler, Ryan Reynolds took the high road. In the most classy and dignified way possible, he put his money where his mouth is.
During an interview with Unlaid earlier this month, the 300 star was asked about the similarities of Ryan Reynolds' current global blockbuster Free Guy and Butler's 2009 flop Gamer.
But Butler couldn't give much of an answer, as he openly admitted to having no idea what Free Guy was.
Butler initially cited being in Puerto Rico filming and being unable to go to the movies as his reason for not having heard of Free Guy.
But when Butler was informed it was the Deadpool star's current film, Butler's response suggested he wouldn't be seeing it any time soon.
"Oh sh*t is it… I don't watch Ryan Reynolds movies."
Reynolds didn't seem to be remotely insulted by Butler's dig, perhaps owing to the fact Free Guy has currently made over $300 million internationally.
Rather than clap back at Butler, Reynolds used the attention to promote a charitable cause.
Sharing People Magazine's coverage of the story on Instagram, Reynolds made a joke about Butler's remark before declaring he and his wife Blake Lively would match donations of up to one million dollars to be split between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund through October 8.
Reynolds wrote:
"Can you believe Gerard Butler doesn't know what Free Guy is?"
"Also, can you believe that the challenges to democracy have never been greater and that Blake and I will match your contributions to the @aclu_nationwide and @naccp_ldf?"
"Order of these questions optimized for the Internet, NOT importance."
Reynolds also highlighted a comment he made to People's post, showing a screenshot of a message from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund regarding their pledge.
"We still believe in you 2021. Let's help @ACLU and @naccp_ldf change it together."
The ACLU shared the news of Reynolds and Lively's pledge on their Instagram page the day before Reynold's clever and classy response to Butler.
Reynolds' maneuver to shift the attention to raising money for charity was met with applause on Instagram.
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
Though a few couldn't help but throw Gerard Butler's dig back in his face.
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
@vancityreynolds/Instagram
Butler's dig could have bruised even the most steadfast of egos, but Reynolds' ability to seamlessly shift the attention to a more important issue is evidence the Canadian born movie star might be ego-less.
Donations to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union can be made online through October 8.
