Ryan Reynolds found himself $25,000 short Sunday night after being gleefully pressured by a Broadway audience to win 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 theatergoers the opportunity to bid on his signed hat, with all proceeds going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Bidding opened at $5,000 and rose quickly, leaving Reynolds visibly bewildered as he found himself in a battle with other audience members.
“Wow,” he could be seen mouthing as the numbers went up, before bidding $20,000.
The crowd wasn’t done with him yet.
“We love you, Ryan,” someone shouted, as the MC kept up the pressure. “You know I want more, 21?”
When Reynolds seemed hesitant, she was direct: “Well, we could finish it if you want to do a big number. It’s for charity, honey!”
That worked. Reynolds stood up and shouted “25!”, and the hat was his.
Groff, 41, personally presented the award, and the two hugged and chatted before Reynolds attempted to pop the hat on his daughter’s head.
Reynolds, 49, was at the theater 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. His youngest son, Olin, three years old, was not at the fair.
