Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney say they have ‘no dignity’ when it comes to long-running projects

The Wrexham FC co-owners made fun of themselves and their long-standing attachments to particular franchises

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have poked fun at themselves and admitted they have “zero dignity” when it comes to knowing when to retire from long-running projects.

Speaking in the forthcoming season of Welcome to Wrexham, the series that tracks the rise of the Welsh football club they acquired in 2020, the Hollywood duo reflected on how they lack awareness of when to step away from a franchise or series.

In the documentary, the actors, both 47, shared their opinions on the retirement of Wrexham FC goalkeeper Ben Foster, 41, and praised him for knowing when it was time to hang up his football boots.

Reynolds said that Foster’s decision to leave the team was “generous”.

“So few people know when to call it,” said the Deadpool actor.

McElhenney chimed in, poking fun at himself: “I’ve been making Always Sunny [in Philidelphia]… for… I don’t know how long.”

Reynolds then told the camera: “He just keeps shooting it, he’s paying for it. I mean, I’m making Wolverine 10!”

McElhenney created and starred in the American sitcom Always Sunny in Philidelphia in 2005, which he continues to make, while Reynolds has starred in the Wolverine franchise since 2009 and is preparing for the forthcoming July release of Deadpool and Wolverine.

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrate with players of Wrexham Men and Women during a Wrexham FC Bus Parade (Getty Images)

The Always Sunny star concluded that the pair of them had “zero dignity” in comparison to footballers.

“These players, they know when it’s time and they walk off with dignity. We have zero dignity,” he said.

In November 2020, the pair, through their joint company RR McReynolds LLC, bought Wrexham AFC for £2m, following a poll among the club’s 2,000 Supporters’ Trust members who voted overwhelmingly in favour of their new owners.

At the time, it was a bizarre and unprecedented move to see two American actors purchasing a team that was muddling along in non-league. But things quickly changed in April 2022 when Wrexham was victorious against Stockport in the FA Trophy semi-finals.

Pair celebrate as Wrexham wins the Vanarama National League and are promoted to the English Football League (Getty Images)

Last year, Wrexham sealed a long-awaited promotion back to the Football League for the first time in 15 years.

The pair have admitted to knowing nothing about the sport, but said they had fallen in love with it, and football culture.

The idea for buying Wrexham FC came after British actor and writer Humphrey Ker exposed McElhenney to UK football culture while the pair worked together on the 2020 sitcom series Mythic Quest.

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (PA Archive)

When McElhenney became fascinated with football, Kerr was the one who sent him a list of half a dozen clubs in need of new life, that he could sponsor financially.

Ker, who is now Wrexham FC’s executive director, made contact with the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, and realised they were in need of investment after the pandemic and open to ideas.

Meanwhile, McElhenney wanted a big-name sponsor and reached out to Hollywood star Reynolds, who owned several brands. “I had TV money,” McElhenney explained, “but I needed movie money.” The pair eventually decided they wanted to buy the club, not sponsor it.

Welcome to Wrexham season three will be available on Disney+ from 3 May.