YourMovies.com Ryan Reynolds Interview
by Sara Friedman

Most of us would probably recognise Ryan Reynolds as the cocky, womanising King of the Campus, Van Wilder, a character that remains legendary among teenage boys and men in general. 
But from the moment I start chatting to this intelligent and softly spoken lad about his new film "Smokin' Aces" it's apparent that Reynolds is not the typical product of Hollywood.

SARA FRIEDMAN: Tell me about your character, the FBI Agent.
RYAN REYNOLDS: Richard Messner is a guy that's charged with the task of keeping Jeremy Piven's character Buddy 'Aces' Israel alive. There are seven or eight assassins on their way to this particular casino in Lake Tahoe to extract his soul from his body - basically kill him - and Messner's job is to keep him alive. And he's kind of the moral centre of this film, he's the one guy who has his compass intact and is desperately trying to do the right thing.

SARA FRIEDMAN: A lot of your work to date has been in comedic acting and this role is very dramatic. What do you love about each genre?
RYAN REYNOLDS: In drama, in that particular genre, I guess I can explore a bit more vulnerability and am forced to face things that I've spent years cultivating defence mechanisms for. Comedy is a bit more work, it's the one that looks the most effortless but it's certainly a lot more work. It's kind of like composing music. While I definitely don't think comic timing is something you can teach it can definitely be cultivated.

SARA FRIEDMAN: There's a huge cast in "Smokin' Aces" from veterans like Andy Garcia to newcomers like Alicia Keys - what was it like on set?
RYAN REYNOLDS: You know that's the thing I was most surprised about during the film - that with such an eclectic group of people it was so cohesive! I mean there was not a bitch in the bunch and I'm so happy to be able to say that. People that weren't working on a particular day would come and watch the scenes - now that's unheard of in a movie - particularly in an environment as narcissistic as Hollywood.

SARA FRIEDMAN: How did you prepare for such an intense role?
RYAN REYNOLDS: Well I have an allergy to guns in general, so I spent two months with a British Special Forces officer that really helped me become a truly godless instrument of death, which was good (laughs). The allergy came back straight afterwards but it really helped to put my nervous system on hold for a while.

SARA FRIEDMAN: Two of our most promising actors Martin Henderson and Joel Edgerton were on set with you. Did you get to know them well?
RYAN REYNOLDS: I got to know Martin really well. Joel and I unfortunately didn't have that many scenes together - but I happen to know Joel as a phenomenal actor - from his work in "Kinky Boots" and other films in which he's exceptional and puts in 110 per cent. And he's also just an exceptional example of what a human being should be, he's a great guy to hang out with and he has that true Aussie sensibility - that handle on irony and self-deprecating humour - and he's a pleasure to be around.

SARA FRIEDMAN: Is there an actor in Hollywood that you've always wanted to work with? 
RYAN REYNOLDS: In terms of actors I would love to work with Peter Sellers but he just couldn't be deader... which is too bad. I've also really like Eric Bana ever since I saw his portrayal of Mark 'Chopper' Reed and then watched the DVD extras to see the actual Mark 'Chopper' Reed and how much he nailed that character - that was pretty inspiring.

SARA FRIEDMAN: From your experience is fame either A) exciting or B) exasperating?
RYAN REYNOLDS: Oh it's definitely A and B, it's a mixed blessing. There are great things about it but there are deeply vulnerable aspects too. When you spend time in people's living rooms and on screens in theatres they sometimes feel like they know you. People will come up and slap you on the back as hard as they can and act like you're a guy that was in their fraternity or something - and you might be in a completely different headspace in that moment so the invasive nature is quite scary.

SARA FRIEDMAN: What is the most bogus thing that's ever been reported about you?
RYAN REYNOLDS: That I wanted to kill a kangaroo...

SARA FRIEDMAN: Oh I read that this morning!
RYAN REYNOLDS: I can't believe that. Although I did say that I would probably kill a kangaroo - only because I'm going on a road trip and it would be just my luck - but that takes the cake I think as the most grossly misunderstood statement ever!

"Smokin' Aces" releases in cinemas across Australia on February 8.