Ryan Reynolds is prepared to “sell” one of his kids to raise money for his and Rob McElhenney’s soccer team, Wrexham AFC.
“I have four,” the actor, 46, joked during the second season premiere episode of FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, which premiered on Wednesday, September 13. “I mean, I don’t even know their names.”
Season 2 follows the Wrexham AFC throughout their 2022-2023 season. Reynolds and McElhenney, 46, are faced with more issues surrounding their team, revealing to viewers in the premiere that they need £20 million (which converts to $25.5 million) to expand their soccer stadium.
Humphrey Ker, the executive director of Wrexham AFC, explained expanding the stadium is the “biggest and most expensive piece” of the puzzle. However, they are in dire need of “more seats to get a stadium international standard to bring Welsh football back to the racecourse.”
To get money from the U.K. government’s Levelling-Up Fund, which delegates money to various projects across the nation, Reynolds and McElhenney needed support from King Charles III, which Ker noted was “critical” for the future of the team.
According to Reynolds, “the King of England called” to visit Wrexham — which rendered himself and McElhenney speechless. When preparing to meet the king, the duo attended “monarchy boot camp” with an etiquette coach.
“It was like the military except your pinky is always up,” Reynolds joked. In a rather hilarious scene from the Welcome to Wrexham season 2 premiere, fans watched Reynolds and McElhenney’s etiquette class — which went as expected.
“I feel like a serial killer,” Reynolds quipped when adjusting his posture. McElhenney added, “Yeah, you look like you’re ready to pounce!”
When it came to bowing to King Charles III, McElhenney had a “hard time” with the idea. However, the “two pumps and release” of the proper handshake was no issue for the pair.
Elsewhere in the episode, Reynolds and McElhenney came face-to-face with King Charles III. The encounter was, surprisingly, full of laughs, especially when the monarch made a joke about it being “always sunny” in Philadelphia. (McElhenney is one of the stars and cocreators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).
Despite their newfound relationship with King Charles III, the Wrexham AFC’s bid for the Levelling-Up fund was denied, meaning they won’t be getting the money to expand their stadium.
“I don’t have £20 million lying around. I don’t know if Ryan does, but I don’t think so,” McElhenney declared. “He might say he does, but I would talk to Blake [Lively] because I bet you he f—king doesn’t.”
New episodes of Welcome to Wrexham premiere on FX and Hulu on Wednesdays.
