Who Plays Wreck-It Ralph & Why Does He Sound Familiar To Will Ferrell Fans?
It's been a while since "Wreck-It Ralph" graced the big screen, with the sequel, "Ralph Breaks the Internet," ending with Ralph finding his independence and living his best life in many arcade machines. While Disney mulls whether Wreck-it Ralph will get another movie soon, the voice behind the loveable giant may surprise some people.
If "Wreck-It Ralph" sounds familiar, it's because critically acclaimed actor John C. Reilly lends his talents to the series' titular video game character. Most will recognize him from performances like Dewey Cox in "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" and Corpsman Dey in "Guardians of the Galaxy." Reilly also stars in Max's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" and is a frequent collaborator of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (appearing in the director's "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia," among others). However, Reilly gained prominence in Hollywood thanks to his on-and-off-screen relationship with Will Ferrell, with the actors delivering some of the best comedy films of the late 2000s.
Reilly and Ferrell have starred in a few films together. "Holmes & Watson" was relatively forgettable despite putting a comedic spin on the legendary detectives. Technically, they also both appeared in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," although Reily was only a cameo. However, their claim to fame is undoubtedly "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and "Step Brothers." Both films solidified the duo's spots as legends in the comedy industry.
John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell's friendship runs deeper than their movies
As if shooting four movies together wasn't proof enough, fans will be happy to hear that John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell are great friends in real life, even if Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. have the opposite relationship in "Talladega Nights."
Interestingly, the world has Molly Shannon to thank for the comedic duo, as Ferrell's former "Saturday Night Live" cast member introduced him to Reilly. In an interview with The New York Times ahead of the release of "Holmes & Watson," the two reminisced on the earliest days of their friendship, with Reilly saying, "I remember standing on the West Side Highway and looking into Will's eyes and thinking: 'I feel related to this person somehow! I feel like I understand the way his brain works!'" As if that wasn't heartwarming enough, Ferrell added to the story, saying the three actors then went to brunch, spending the rest of the day on a long walk, laughing and cracking jokes.
While the actors immediately connected, time has only strengthened their friendship, and working together solidified it. During an interview with Independent, Reilly reflected on their meeting, saying, "We knew we had something in common, and it wasn't until we actually got together to work we thought, 'Oh, this is why we were put on this Earth, to make hijinks together.'" A few decades after their initial meeting, Reilly and Ferrell have one of Hollywood's most endearing friendships, with numerous successful films proving the comedic duo is a surefire recipe for success.