Ryan Reynolds found himself $25,000 lighter on Sunday night after being cheerfully pressured by a Broadway audience into winning a charity auction for a hat worn by Jonathan Groff in his final performance of Just in Time.
Groff’s closing night as Bobby Darin gave theatregoers the chance to bid on his signed hat, with all proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
The bidding opened at $5,000 and climbed fast, leaving Reynolds visibly taken aback as he found himself in a battle with other audience members.
“Wow,” he could be seen mouthing as the numbers rose, before he bid $20,000.
The crowd wasn’t done with him yet.
“We love you, Ryan,” someone called out, as the MC kept the pressure on. “You know I want more, 21?”
When Reynolds appeared to hesitate, she was blunt about it: “Well, we could just end it if you want to do a big number. It’s for charity, honey!”
That did the trick. Reynolds stood up and shouted, “25!”, and the hat was his.
Groff, 41, personally hand-delivered the prize, the two embracing and chatting before Reynolds attempted to pop the hat on his daughter’s head.
Reynolds, 49, was at the theatre with his wife Blake Lively and three of their four children, James, 11, Inez, 9, and Betty, 6.
Lively sat behind her husband with Betty, while Reynolds was flanked by James and Inez. Their youngest, three-year-old son Olin, was not at the show.
