Ryan Reynolds recently recalled a moment from the set of the 2012 action thriller Safe House that left Denzel Washington angry. The actor revealed that during the filming of the movie’s emotional final scene, his cell phone unexpectedly rang. This disrupted Washington’s performance and prompted him to break character.
Ryan Reynolds made Denzel Washington angry on set
Ryan Reynolds has recalled a tense moment with Denzel Washington while filming the 2012 thriller Safe House. Speaking at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, described how his cell phone ringtone interrupted Washington mid-performance, sparking frustration on set.
The incident occurred during the climactic scene in which Washington’s character lies fatally wounded. Reynolds recalled, “It’s a powerful scene; he’s crying. He’s been shot, wounded, dying, admits all the stuff that he did wrong. Tears start rolling down his face.” However, the silence was broken by the sound of Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me,” which happened to be Reynolds’ ringtone at the time.
Reynolds admitted that his immediate reaction was panic. He said, “I’m really, really scared, because he’s Denzel Washington, and I’m me!” Reynolds joked. “I’m terrified. The great thing is [my] character’s terrified, so it’s no problem.” Reflecting on the incident, he admitted the fault was entirely his, describing himself as “dumb-dumb.”
Washington abruptly stopped the performance and shouted, “Who the f—’s phone is that?” Meanwhile, director Daniel Espinosa and the assistant director asked the same question. Reynolds pretended to be just as outraged as everyone else. He recalled, “I stand up and look at all the stuntmen around me, and I go, ‘Who the f—‘s phone is that? Inexcusable!'”
Eventually, the assistant director asked Washington if he was willing to go again. Washington agreed, responding, “We’re going to have to, aren’t we?” The Deadpool actor added, “And I’m like, ‘Yes, [because of] the stuntmen! Inexcusable!'”
