By Sam Manzella
Ryan Reynolds is now a free guy and a three-time golden popcorn winner.
The veteran actor was awarded Best Comedic Performance at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday (June 5). He won for his lead role in Netflix’s conceptual action-comedy Free Guy, which hit the streaming giant last summer to critical acclaim.
In a wacky pre-recorded acceptance speech, Reynolds tapped Steve-O of Jackass fame to extend his thanks.
“Free Guy was really personal for Ryan,” a nervous-looking Steve-O said straight to camera, “so it’s super meaningful for him to have his hard work recognized by the MTV Movie & TV Awards.”
Free Guy stars Reynolds as a nameless bank teller whose life turns upside down when he learns he is actually a non-player character in Free City, a massive, open-world video game. He ends up partnering with another player named Millie (Jodie Comer) to find proof that Free City’s maniacal CEO, Antwan (Taika Waititi), stole her source code for the game.
The Truman Show-esque film was written by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn and directed by Shawn Levy (Stranger Things).
Reynolds beat out a number of hilarious actors for his win, including John Cena (PeacemakerHacks), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso). He was also up for Best Team for The Adam Project but lost out to Loki trio Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, and Owen Wilson.
It’s not Reynolds’s first time at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, either. He is now a 12-time nominee and three-time winner, with his role in 2016’s Deadpool also scoring him wins for Best Comedic Performance and Best Fight. Find all the winners here.