Ryan Reynolds Reveals Details of His Final Conversation with Late Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek

Next week will see the release of Free Guy, the Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy that seems to be on the track to being a bonafide hit. It has already been reported that the film involves a wide array of cameos, including one from the late Jeopardy! host and cultural icon Alex Trebek. Fans of the quiz show have already had a lot of feelings about the appearance from Trebek, especially after it was first unveiled in Free Guy‘s trailer last October, showing Trebek hosting an in-universe episode of Jeopardy!, in which he asks a contestant about Reynolds’ character in the film. In a recent interview with E! News’ Daily Pop, Reynolds revealed how Trebek’s cameo came to be, and also shed light on his friendship with him prior to his dead.

“We shot that separately, actually after the film had been completely done and dusted and completed,” Reynolds explained. “Alex was kind enough to jump in and do this little cameo for us. I was just so blown away by how sweet he was to do that.”

“Even right up before shortly before he passed away, I talked to him on the phone about a charity initiative he was trying to launch,” Reynolds continued. “This guy was really made of good stuff right until the end. Having him in the movie is certainly bittersweet, that’s for sure.”

Reynolds previously spoke about the emotional impact of his final conversation with Trebek, revealing that it changed his perspective on life.

“It forces you to look around a little bit and see the people and the faces that are in our lives every day and really remember not to taking them for granted. I was talking to Alex on the phone two months ago, and that was amazing then just like that he was gone,” Reynolds shared with Extra. “It was a conversation about one of the shows he had coming up. I had been on the show a number of times, he was asking me about perhaps coming on again. I was shooting in Atlanta and was unable to do it… When you speak with people like that that you grew up watching and suddenly you are talking to them on the phone, you start to reflect.”

Free Guy will star Ryan Reynolds as Guy, a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story…one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way…before it is too late. The film also stars Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Camille Kostek.

Free Guy will be released on August 13th only in theaters.