Free Guy Ryan Reynolds Awarded Best Comedic Performance

By Sam Manzella


Ryan Reynolds is currently a complimentary guy and a three-time golden popcorn winner.


The veteran actor was awarded Best Comedic Efficiency 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 important acclaim.


In a wacky pre-recorded acceptance speech, Reynolds tapped Steve-O of Jackass fame to extend his thanks.


“Free Guy was really personalized for Ryan,” a nervous-looking Steve-O mentioned 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 any time as soon as 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 few hilarious actors for his win, including John Cena (PeacemakerHacks), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso). He was also up for Best Team for The Adam Project nevertheless 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 currently a 12-time nominee and three-time winner, with his role in 2016’s Deadpool also scoring him wins for Best Comedic Efficiency and Best Fight. Find all of the winners here.