Ryan Reynolds’s attempt to join Los Angeles improv troupe The Groundlings in 1995 ended badly when he was told he needed to take its standard course rather than being accepted immediately. The episode illustrates the difficult early stage of his career, before he became a major Hollywood star through films including Deadpool.

Reynolds had already taken a year away from acting after becoming disillusioned with low-profile TV work and his role in the teen sitcom Hillside, known as Fifteen in the US. Unable to afford or commit to The Groundlings’ course because he was not a US citizen, he pursued other opportunities, later declining Buffy the Vampire Slayer and landing a role in the successful sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.