More Laughs For Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds was last seen on the big screen in the lead role of last year's surprise hit, National Lampoon's "Van Wilder."

Starting this weekend, audiences can see him in another comedy, a remake of a 1970s classic, "The In-Laws."

It has a star-studded cast that includes Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks as prospective fathers-in-law. Reynolds plays Mark, the son of deep-cover CIA agent Steve Tobias (Douglas).

The relationship between father and son is loving, but Steve has rarely been present in his son's life. Now, he is overcompensating by meddling in Mark's wedding plans. To make things worse, Mark can't tell his fiancé of his father's double life, which annoys the bride and her parents.

Reynolds says working on "The In-Laws" has allowed him to work with actors he respects, and he says he learned a lot from Hollywood veterans Brooks and Douglas.

Ryan Reynolds discussed his new movie in a phone interview with The Saturday Early Show. The following is a transcript from that interview.

This is a star studded cast. What's it like to work with such giants?

This is as star studded as it's gonna get. "Ocean's Eleven" is the only one that has more fire power. It was incredible. Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas. Every day, going to work was like I won the lottery.

You're a huge fan of Albert Brooks?

It's just that he's so funny and vulnerable all the time. He taps into his vulnerability. I just relate to him. If you would have asked me one year ago who I'd want to work with, it would have been Albert Brooks. So I don't know how I manifested that one. Now that I've done that I think I'm going to retire, I think.

And how was it working with him?

You always expect … the pessimist in me expected disillusionment. It was just the opposite. He was the greatest guy to hang out with.

What was the atmosphere like on the set?

It was incredible. Michael Douglas is kind of this great guy's guy. I never would have imagined that. I imaged him with a whole entourage. But he's actually really accessible. It's just a mark of someone who's secure in [his] career. He wants the people around him to excel like he has.

Have you seen the 1979 version of "The In-Laws"?

I haven't, no. I'm ashamed to say it. I know it's not cool. I didn't want to get anything in my head to affect what the script was. I didn't want to be tainted. [He says he plans on watching it soon.]

Do you have in-laws?

I'm not married, but I'm in a very serious relationship. I definitely love her parents. They're very similar to my parents, so it's very special torture.

What did "Van Wilder" do for your career?

It's funny. It's one of those movies we never expected it to be that big. Its momentum just kept building. It still is [Ryan was nominated for an MTV Movie Award]. There's a certain cache involved with a film that sells foreign. Suddenly I'm being offered movies that get financed because I decide to do them. It's a weird position for me, it's different.

How was it playing that role?

It's great to play a role that you get to be a guy that obviously is overtly funny and charismatic but also a good guy. I read the script and I kind of likened it to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It's kind of like that character. It was a challenge to play a character that wasn't mean but was funny. The jocks liked him, the geeks liked him, the faculty liked him. It was fun to play.

How did you start in comedy?

I started in Vancouver. I was doing my first improv group called "Yellow Snow." I ended up moving to Los Angeles because I couldn't do it in Vancouver so much. And my family's from the U.S., so it was an easy move. I never did standup. I did it for my show "Two Guys and a Girl" [for the audience], but [I] mostly [did] improv comedy.

What's next?

I have another movie called "Foolproof" coming out. Another movie called "School of Life." And I'm about to shoot another movie called "Waiting."

It's easier to find work now?

A little bit. This industry is the sum of all parts. I definitely get to pick and choose a little bit and that's a luxury I don't take for granted at all.

Some Facts About Ryan Reynolds

• Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Oct. 23, 1976
• From 1991 to 1994, Reynolds starred in the Nickelodeon teen drama "Fifteen"
• In 1993, he starred in "Ordinary Magic," as a boy raised in India who must move to Canada because of his parents' deaths
• In 1994, Reynolds played actress Donna Mills' teenage son in the CBS television movie "My Name is Kate."
• In 1995, Reynolds played the son of actress Glenn Close in the CBS television movie "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermyer Story"
• From 1998 to 2001, the actor co-starred in the hit ABC television series, "Two Guys and a Girl" and "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place"
• In 1999, Reynolds made an appearance in the movie comedy "Dick"
• Reynolds's future movie release will be two independent features: "Foolproof," an action/heist film, and "School of Life," a humorous story about the friendship between two teachers