Ryan Reynolds has always had some very interesting Hollywood bromances. Fans are heart warmed by his connection to Office star John Krasinski and then there's the love/hate relationship he has with Hugh Jackman. But recently, Ryan's connection with It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney has been making the news. Mostly because the two are now owners of a British soccer team (aka football team).
Together, Ryan and Rob purchased the fifth-tier Welsh soccer team Wrexham A.F.C. in February 2021. The two spent over $3.5 million on the team even though nobody knew they liked soccer THAT much, let alone UK soccer. Most importantly, nobody even really knew they were friends. To the point of confused fans, Ryan and Rob hadn't even met when they went in on the soccer team together. Here's the truth about their relationship...
How Gin Made Rob And Ryan 'Text Buddies'
In April 2021, Ryan Reynolds joined with Men's Health in order to interview Rob McElhenney about his incredible body transformation for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. The reason why Ryan was chosen was due to their Wrexham A.F.C. connection... as well as the actors' copious similarities. During the interview, the truth about how they actually met was revealed. At that point, the pair had never even been in the same room at the same time. This is despite a ton of work done together over the course of the pandemic. And this work was sparked by Ryan Reynolds' gin and Rob's love of drinking...
"We’ve never met, which is the weirdest thing, because we Zoom and text every day," Ryan Reynolds said to Rob in the Men's Health interview. "We’re kinda like work spouses—everything we’ve done has happened during the pandemic. Rob was somebody I had always admired because he’s an engine of creativity. Then I saw The Dance [in It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia that Rob got fit for], and I couldn’t not reach out. Like a classic fanboy, I DM’d him just to say how much I admire him, and I sent him a case of Aviation Gin, because I’m nothing if not a pusher."
Of course, Aviation Gin is the brand that Ryan has been associated with since he purchased a massive stake in the brand in 2018. He's since become its spokesperson, model, and chief consumer (or so we assume).
"I was in Mexico and I had posted a photograph of my wife and me drinking tequila," Rob said, adding to the story. "I remember getting a DM from Ryan, and he was like, 'Stop drinking that s***. I’m going to send you a case of Aviation Gin.' And I was like, 'Oh, okay, that sounds good. I’ll drink anything.' Then Ryan said, 'Oh, by the way, I’m a big fan of yours.' And I said, 'Obviously I’m a big fan of yours.' And we just became text buddies."
From 'Text Buddies' To Co-Owners
Ryan Reynolds was very successful when he slid into Rob McElhenney's DMs. Not only did he get him drinking Aviation gin and become his friend, but he also convinced him to go in on purchasing a soccer team in North Wales. Their hope was to reinvigorate the soccer club (football club... sorry, anybody outside of North America) as well as the community the club is based in. The purchase was also what brought them together physically for the first time in May 2021.
"We literally would just text back and forth for a while if we thought something was funny, and I always thought, Oh, he seems like a great person. I think we would be great friends, but I think that he would also be a great person to work with," Rob explained.
"We don’t know anything about running a football club [American soccer club]. The best leaders I know and get to work with often say, 'I don’t know.' I do it all the time. I make sure I’m working with people who can help me grow and help me learn, too. I’m very comfortable sharing power and sharing money. I’m very comfortable stepping aside when needed and when there’s a dearth of equity, both inside and outside the industry. I never would have guessed this in my early 20s, but those kinds of things are the most freeing things. I see those qualities in Rob, and it’s a really nice partnership in that context. I feel like I see him, and he sees me, and I feel like I can be vulnerable with him, and I feel like he can be vulnerable with me. To me, masculinity in 2021 is so much about allowing yourself to acknowledge your deficits, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, allowing yourself to just be who and what you are instead of this other thing that maybe our dads conditioned us to believe in."
As to why the two pooled their money together and purchased a Welsh soccer club, well, that's still not entirely clear. In a video address to the Wrexham A.F.C., Ryan and Rob said that they believed that the club was a 'sleeping giant' and could become one of the most successful, profitable, and respected clubs in the entire league. They believe that they have the resources to give them a platform, recognition, and really elevate them while stepping aside and letting the soccer experts run the place.
Regardless of their reasons for purchasing Wrexham A.F.C., there's no doubt that Ryan and Rob's authentic connection is the reason why they decided to go in it together.
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