Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Lillard Just Delivered the Perfect Response to Quentin Tarantino

Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Lillard just turned a public dunk from Quentin Tarantino into a bit, which is exactly the move I wanted them to make. It involves a Mint Mobile ad, a tongue-in-cheek ego check, and a surprisingly blunt podcast moment that kicked this whole thing off.

The ad: two 'universally loved' things... or maybe not

Reynolds dropped a new Mint Mobile spot featuring Lillard, which is already funny because Reynolds used to be a part-owner of the company and now he is just the very loud spokesperson. The setup: Reynolds narrates a list of things people supposedly love across the board, with Lillard himself on that list. Lillard jumps in to say, basically, hey, it is not unanimous. Cue Reynolds crossing Lillard off the list mid-commercial and, for extra spice, mock-complaining about Lillard's attitude while putting a goofy twist on how he says 'Lillard.'

Reynolds pushed the ad on X on December 12, 2025, giving it that winky promo energy only he can pull off, even name-dropping John Waters' 'Serial Mom' (1994), cheap wireless, and Matthew Lillard as things that are just categorically good. It is all very self-aware and absolutely aimed at the chatter around Lillard this week.

Why this is happening

Earlier, on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino got unusually direct about a few actors he just does not vibe with, and Lillard landed on that list alongside Paul Dano and Owen Wilson.

'I don't care for [Paul Dano], I don't care for Owen Wilson, and I don't care for Matthew Lillard.'

That is the kind of bluntness that makes headlines even when you are Quentin Tarantino.

Lillard's onstage response

Lillard addressed it at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio. He played it off at first with an 'Eh, whatever. Who gives a s***,' but he was honest about how it actually feels. He said it hurts, and, yeah, it sucks to hear that out loud from someone with Tarantino's reach. He also pointed out the power dynamic: you are not going to hear someone say that about, say, Tom Cruise. Not publicly.

So Reynolds and Lillard flipped it

Instead of getting defensive, they turned the moment into a joke ad that doubles as a little solidarity move. Also fun fact: Reynolds and Lillard go way back — they both appeared in the 2001 thriller 'Finder's Fee,' which makes this mini-reunion a nice deep cut for anyone who remembers that movie.

• On The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino said he does not care for Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, or Matthew Lillard.
• Lillard reacted at GalaxyCon Columbus: part shrug, part honesty about how much that stings.
• Reynolds and Lillard then dropped a Mint Mobile ad winking at the whole thing — posted December 12, 2025 — with Reynolds crossing Lillard off a list of 'universally' loved things and joking about his attitude.

Not a bad way to handle a stray jab: make a joke, get a check, move on.