When Free Guy finally arrives in theaters August 13, Jeopardy! fans will be in for a real treat — late longtime host Alex Trebek will appear in the action movie.
Star Ryan Reynolds spoke fondly of his fellow Canadian when speaking to E!’s Daily Pop and revealed how Trebek managed to sneak in for a last minute cameo.
“We shot that separately, actually after the film had been completely done and dusted and completed,” he dished. “Alex was kind enough to jump in and do this little cameo for us. I was just so blown away by how sweet he was to do that.”
Reynolds spoke highly of the late game show host, saying the two became fast friends and remained in contact until his passing in November 2020.
“Even right up before shortly before he passed away, I talked to him on the phone about a charity initiative he was trying to launch,” the Deadpool star recalled. “This guy was really made of good stuff right until the end. Having him in the movie is certainly bittersweet, that’s for sure.”
Trebek died last November after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Reynolds added Free Guy is a labor of love and admitted, “I would say it’s probably my favorite movie I’ve ever done, mostly because I grew up watching Amblin movies about wish fulfillment.”
Amblin is the production company behind films such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Back to the Future.
The Golden Globe nominee also expressed that Free Guy is coming out at the opportune time because “the last few years have been so hard on so many people… all over the world. It’s great working on and being a part of a movie that is just this unabashed ball of joy.”
Free Guy premieres as a theater exclusive next Friday, August 13.
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