Ryan Reynolds has announced a new initiative that will offer selected candidates who are Black, Indigenous, people of colour or people from marginalized and excluded communities the chance to work as trainees on his latest film.
The project, entitled The Group Effort Initiative, is looking to match people who are Black, Indigenous, people of colour or people from marginalized communities with an opportunity to work as a trainee on the production team for the Deadpool star's Untitled Netflix/Time Travel Project.
"We want to provide an opportunity for candidates to have real experience in the entertainment industry that will open new doors and lead to future jobs through a wider professional network," read the description.
While specific roles haven't been determined yet, Reynolds hopes to "find strong candidates and place them in the most appropriate department for their growth."
Reynolds is covering all of the trainees' wages, as well as their travel expenses and accommodation.
Candidates must legally eligible to work in Canada (i.e. be a Canadian citizen, have a Canadian Work Visa, etc.), be available to work full-time from Nov. 2020-March 2021 and be at least 18 years old.
Candidates must also submit a one-way video interview, which means they'll record their video interview answers and then submit them before the deadline (Oct. 1).
In a video, Reynolds states that "Making a film is a group effort, but for entirely too long that group has systemically excluded Black, Indigenous, people of colour and several other marginalized communities.
"This is a global problem which will not be fixed overnight, but change can start locally and immediately."
The beloved Canadian actor also notes that the film will only move ahead "COVID willing, which is a weird thing to say."
Reynolds says that anyone, regardless of age, should apply to the film because it is "never too late."
"I myself am actually way older than I appear on set, so you're going to get to see what Ryan Reynolds looks like without the full...you know...beauty make up," quips the funnyman.
Back in August, Premier John Horgan asked B.C.-raised Hollywood heavyweights Reynolds and Seth Rogen to help him encourage young people in the province to stop partying during the pandemic.
"This is a call out to Deadpool right now," Horgan said. “Ryan, we need your help out here, get in touch with us.”
The Deadpool star responded to Horgan's plea in a Tweet, stating, "I got your message about the thing. Look, I'm not sure it's a great idea, frankly. People don't want medical advice from guys like me."
However, in typical Reynolds fashion, the beloved Canadian actor joked that he could give advice about plastic surgery, because he, "used to be Hugh Jackman."
