Ryan Reynolds' Van Wilder Was Inspired By Bert Kreischer's Wild College Life
Being the biggest party animal on a college campus has been a dream of college kids ever since the days of "National Lampoon's Animal House." So, it is no surprise that the formula for "Animal House" has been used again and again over the years, including in another National Lampoon film that came out nearly three decades later, "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." The movie follows the most popular kid on campus, Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds), after a reporter is assigned to cover him because of his legendary status as a party animal.
Wilder is a seventh-year senior who has solidified his reputation as a perpetual student only interested in extracurricular activities and partying. When Wilder's dad tells him he is done paying for his college, Wilder has to figure out how he can raise the money he needs to keep himself in school. He quickly realizes that having an article written about him could lead to the payday he is looking for. While this plot may be hard to believe, it isn't too far off from the real-life tale of the person Van Wilder is based on.
Bert Kreischer was featured in Rolling Stone as an undergraduate
In 1997, a reporter from Rolling Stone showed up at Florida State University to write an article about Bert Kreischer, the biggest party animal on campus. The piece, titled "Bert Kreischer: The Undergraduate," was the launching point for Kreischer's career and, unofficially, for the character of Van Wilder. "It was a big deal, it was a really, really big deal ... It changed the direction of my life," Kreischer said in an interview with VladTV.
However, he said in an interview with the New York Post that he has never seen "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" and had nothing to do with its production. He even said his management team contemplated suing the filmmakers for stealing his intellectual property, but ultimately decided against it.
Whether or not Van Wilder is actually Kreischer's college persona, if you sit down and compare the Rolling Stone story to "National Lampoon's Van Wilder," you can see that Kreischer and Wilder really aren't that different.