Hartley mistaken for Ryan Reynolds
Justin Hartley often gets mistaken for fellow Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds by fans.
The actor started his career with roles in television shows such as Smallville, The Young and the Restless and Revenge, but he has risen to prominence since joining the cast of the hit NBC/CTV drama series This is Us, in which he stars as Kevin Pearson.
While Hartley is instantly recognizable to fans of the show, during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night, he recalled one awkward encounter in which he was confused with Canadian actor Reynolds.
“I was at this charity event and this woman recognized me,” he said.
“I thought she was going to tackle me and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh this is amazing, she really likes me.’ I was feeling pretty good about myself. And then she starts telling me how great I am and how in love with me she is, and it’s really great.”
Then the fan began asking questions, such as whether he always knew Deadpool would be a hit with moviegoers, and, “How is Blake?”
The 40-year-old then realized that the woman thought he was Reynolds, and was asking about the star’s hit superhero movie and his wife, Blake Lively.
And while Hartley played along with the questioning, he wasn’t able to fully convince the fan he was Reynolds.
“I was insulted for half a second and then I felt better about myself,” he laughed.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t him, so I pretended for five minutes that I was the coolest guy on Earth. Then on my way out the door, I caught her, I went to give her one last wave, and she was staring death at me!”