19 June 2023 , 20:48
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Actor Ryan Reynolds felt nervous when he first joined forces with fellow American movie star Rob McElhenney to produce their hit 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary series.
The duo teamed up to track the inner-workings of the football club they purchased in 2020. With Reynolds a world-renowned Hollywood star for his acting, it would be a fair assumption that he'd be right at home in front of the cameras.
But, having spent his life portraying fictional characters on the big screen, Reynolds has admitted he was taken out of his comfort zone with cameras focusing on his every move and having to simply play himself. Despite his initial reservations, Reynolds has grown accustomed to being filmed for the show, which almost immediately raised the profile of the Welsh club upon its release last year.
Then, Wrexham's promotion to League Two this past season cemented their status as a global sensation. It means 'Welcome to Wrexham' has already captured an incredibly journey with Reynolds at the forefront.
"I’d never done anything where I was part of a docuseries," Reynolds told Variety. "And I really struggled at the beginning. There’s a moment in the series where I’m joking that I didn’t know that I had the option to not appear on camera all the time.
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"And that was true! I really wasn’t super comfortable with it. Halfway through, I eventually started to forget that there were cameras there and was able to kind of let it go and be emotional - even if that means you say something where your foot might end up in your mouth."
Ryan Reynolds officially completed his investment in Wrexham as a co-owner in 2021. (Getty Images)The first season of the show didn't have a happy ending, but Wrexham gained promotion from the National League by finishing top of the division in 2022/23. They earned 111 points, just ahead of Notts County on 107 points, to get back into the Football League.
Reynolds and McElhenney attended a jubilant parade in Wrexham before jetting players to Las Vegas to continue the promotion celebrations. For the film duo, those good times made the failure to earn promotion on the first go-round well worth it.
"All roads lead to here, so no regrets at all," Reynolds said. "I’m so grateful for the experiences of that first big season, even with the fact that the club didn’t get promoted, because it laid the groundwork for one of the most exciting seasons, I think, in National League football history. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anxiety ratcheted up like [at the end of the 2022/23 season].
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are after a new striker (Getty Images)"It wasn’t enjoyable for me. It was hell going into the Notts County game this year, actual hell. The fact that the team managed to pull it out in the last second was so perfectly Wrexham."
The second season of the show, which will chronicle the 2022/23 campaign, is expected to come out sometime this autumn. Before that, Wrexham will head to the United States for a pre-season tour, playing four games including contests against Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea.