The new ad comes a week after the “Pulp Fiction” director listed Lillard among actors that he doesn’t care for.

Ryan Reynolds helps Matthew Lillard respond to Quentin Tarantino’s controversial remarks about his acting

The new ad comes a week after the "Pulp Fiction" director listed Lillard among actors that he doesn't care for.

By Staff Author

December 14, 2025 3:58 p.m. ET

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Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Lillard, and Quentin Tarantino. Credit:

Kimberly White/Getty; ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty

Ryan Reynolds is wading into the Quentin Tarantino discourse with a moneymaking idea.

The *Deadpool & Wolverine* star has recruited Matthew Lillard for a Mint Mobile ad campaign titled, "Everybody Loves Matthew Lillard." The cheeky slogan pokes fun at the controversy surrounding Tarantino, who recently drew criticism for listing Lillard among a number of actors that he doesn't care for. The remarks swiftly blew up online as fans and fellow Hollywood stars pushed back on the filmmaker's criticism. Now, Reynolds has entered the fray — with his signature tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

The ad begins with a smiling Lillard, standing in front of a green screen, while Reynolds narrates in voiceover.

"There are only two things that are universally loved," Reynolds declares. "Saving money and beloved actor Matthew Lillard."

Matthew Lillard attends the "Five Nights at Freddy's 2" premiere on December 02 in Hollywood.

Savion Washington/Getty

Bashfully, Lillard replies, "Oh! I appreciate it." Then, in a wink to the recent comments from Tarantino, he added, "I mean, it’s not unanimous, you know?"

Without missing a beat, Reynolds eliminated Lillard from the list, correcting, "Okay, there’s only one thing that’s universally loved."

Lillard then revolts against the ad. "I'm not really sure why I'm here," the* Scooby-Doo* actor hits back. "Does the teleprompter say 'Zoinks?' I'm not saying 'zoinks'!"

This latest response comes after Lillard admitted to being hurt by Tarantino's declaration, telling a crowd at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, that it was tough to hear the comments going around.

"It hurts your feelings. It f---in' sucks," Lillard said. "And you wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood."

Lillard also noted that he's not given the A-list treatment outside the convention circuit.

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"I'm very popular in this room. I'm not very popular in Hollywood," he said. "Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it's humbling, and it hurts."

An audience member then shouted, "We love you!" which received a grateful response from Lillard.

Tarantino's remarks came during a conversation about his top 10 movies of the 21st century on a recent episode of *The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast*. At one point, he named Paul Dano as "the weakest male actor in SAG" while discussing the Paul Thomas Anderson movie, *There Will Be Blood, *which he cited as his No. 5 film of the century. He added that he "really can't stand Owen Wilson," while singing the praises of his No. 10 pick, Woody Allen's *Midnight in Paris. *

Quentin Tarantino.

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Though none of Lillard's films made the list, Tarantino mentioned him while ranting, "I don't care for [Dano], I don't care for Owen Wilson, and I don't care for Matthew Lillard."**

A wave of support has followed for all three actors, who are being celebrated on social media by admirers and past collaborators. Among those who came to Lillard's defense was *Superman* director and co-head of DC Studios, James Gunn.

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"Just a few photos over the years with one of my favorite guys (and actors), [Matthew Lillard]," Gunn wrote on Threads last week, cheekily adding, "No reason."

Mike Flanagan, who recently directed Lillard in* The Life of Chuck*, called him "the goddamn greatest," adding, "Amazing actor, collaborator and friend."

Lillard can currently be seen as William Afton in the horror sequel *Five Nights at Freddy's 2*, which is now playing in theaters.

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