Matthew Lawrence Spills On ‘Young’ Ryan Reynolds’ Diva Behavior

Matthew Lawrence is opening up about his past experience working with Ryan Reynolds, claiming the now-A-list actor was difficult on set in the early 2000s.

According to Matthew Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds frequently clashed with the film’s producers and director over creative differences.

During an episode of the “Brotherly Love Podcast,” the “Boy Meets World” alum reflected on filming “Boltneck”, a 2000 sci-fi horror film in which he starred alongside Reynolds.

“He’d walk out, just kind of wanted to do his thing, and the producers would get really upset,” Lawrence alleged. “They even told him, ‘Ryan, this is a bad Jim Carrey impersonation. This is not what we hired you to do. You can’t impersonate somebody, you gotta do your own thing.’”

However, Reynolds refused to back down, allegedly responding, “I’m doing my thing,” which, according to Lawrence, left producers frustrated.

In “Boltneck,” Lawrence played a science nerd named Frank Stein, who revives Reynolds’ character’s corpse after he’s killed by bullies. While producers reportedly envisioned the film as a dark sci-fi thriller akin to Donnie Darko, Lawrence claimed Reynolds was “trying to ‘Deadpool’” the script, years before his breakout role as the wisecracking antihero.

“There was this major pull between one of the lead actors, so that is what my experience with Ryan Reynolds was,” Lawrence said. However, he acknowledged Reynolds’ later success, adding, “He obviously matured as a human being.”

The “Hot Chick” actor also recalled witnessing a private meeting between Reynolds and the film’s director. “This crew, I think, had just been nominated for an Oscar, so they were kind of a big deal at that moment,” he explained. “Talk about frustrations on set with actors.”

According to IMDb, Boltneck was produced by Paul Colichman and Mark R. Harris, who had previously worked on “Gods and Monsters,” which won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1999.

Lawrence claimed the crew quickly dismissed Reynolds after the film wrapped, convinced he had no future in Hollywood.

“So much hope for this guy. He’s going nowhere,” Lawrence recalled the crew saying at the time, a statement that now seems ironic given Reynolds’ meteoric rise in Hollywood. He concluded, “They blamed that movie not working on him because they said there was this whole conflict.”

Lawrence shared his recollections of Reynolds while discussing the ongoing legal battle between “It Ends With Us” stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, a feud in which Reynolds has allegedly played a major role.

Baldoni has filed a lawsuit against Reynolds and Lively, accusing them of defamation and extortion. The lawsuit stems from allegations that Baldoni sexually harassed Lively, as outlined in a California Civil Rights Department complaint.

In his complaint, Baldoni claimed that Reynolds aggressively confronted him after he inquired about Lively’s weight while filming “It Ends With Us.” Baldoni has denied the accusation of fat-shaming and has also accused the power couple of interfering with the film’s production.

According to the lawsuit, Reynolds and Lively pushed for changes to a pivotal rooftop scene, with Baldoni feeling pressured to accommodate their demands. He also alleged that Lively and her celebrity friends, including Taylor Swift, used their influence to manipulate the production.

“The message could not have been clearer,” the lawsuit states. “Baldoni was not just dealing with Lively. He was also facing Lively’s ‘dragons,’ two of the most influential and wealthy celebrities in the world, who were not afraid to make things very difficult for him.”

Lively has previously acknowledged her tendency to take a hands-on approach on set.

During a 2022 Forbes Power Women’s Summit, she admitted, “When I went into meetings, I would just seem like I’m just there to be the actor and ready to get the gig. I wouldn’t reveal that I actually need to have authorship in order to feel fulfilled.”

As the feud between Lively and Baldoni unfolds, Lawrence’s reflection on Reynolds’ early days serves as a reminder of how Hollywood conflicts can shape careers for better or worse.