Ryan Reynolds Gets Mistaken for Ben Affleck at His Local Pizzeria—And He Doesn’t Correct Anyone

Ryan Reynolds might be one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet, but that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from cases of mistaken identity. In the latest episode of the Dear Hank and John podcast, the actor revealed that employees at a Manhattan pizzeria frequently think he’s Ben Affleck.

"There's a pizza place in the East Village in New York that I've been going to for years," Reynolds said. "They believe I'm Ben Affleck and I've never corrected them."

One of the hosts pointed out that the situation could possibly become a problem if not addressed, Reynolds quipped that "it would not go over well" if he actually revealed that he wasn’t the Oscar-winning Affleck. He also said that he pretends to be "mildly put out" by the personal questions he receives from restaurant employees to make his assumed identity more believable.

"When I leave, they think: I don’t think Ben Affleck is amused by us and our questions," Reynolds said, adding, "I gotta be more chipper."

So what exactly are the personal questions? Apparently he fields a lot of queries about Affleck’s latest movies, and even more about Affleck’s love life. "They'll ask how J.Lo is." Reynolds simply replies "great" or "good," then grabs his pizza and leaves.

This is not the only time Reynolds and Affleck have been mixed up. In 2015, a fan asked on Twitter if anyone else has trouble telling the two actors apart. Leaning into his trademark sense of humor, Reynolds retweeted the question and wrote, "Mom, please get off Twitter. Now."

Seeing as Reynolds and Affleck both starred in the film Smokin’ Aces in 2006—and that Reynolds’ now-wife Blake Lively was directed by Affleck in The Town in 2010—we can assume the two actors have an established relationship and all these comments are made in good fun.