Justin Theroux's bid to emulate idol Ryan Reynolds may not succeed as 'he's trying too hard', says source

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Justin Theroux has developed a quiet fixation with mimicking his career idol and close friend, Ryan Reynolds's success, claimed a source.

However, an insider revealed to In Touch Weekly that the 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' star would not be best served by blindly adhering to Ryan's strategy.

Justin Theroux reportedly 'in full Ryan Reynolds mode'

"Look, if you ask Justin, he was doing the Ryan Reynolds thing long before Ryan was, especially on his signature film 'Tropic Thunder'," the source added.

Justin, 53, co-wrote the acclaimed 'Tropic Thunder' with Ben Stiller and Etan Cohen. The insider said that Justin "was the mastermind behind the viral marketing stunts on that movie, even though his part on-camera was tiny."

The movie shot to fame upon its release and is now regarded as a cult classic thanks to a marketing effort that had the lead performers doing skits on 'American Idol' and at the MTV Video Music Awards.

While Justin tries to replicate some of that magic, his idol Ryan, 47, has been succeeding a lot lately with his most recent endeavor 'Deadpool & Wolverine', alongside Hugh Jackman.

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is on the verge of becoming one of the all-time top 20 grossing movies, per the outlet. Ryan was the main focus of the campaign from the beginning, which was a break for Fox domestic marketing boss Marc Weinstock.

It makes sense why Justin expanded his scope in the film 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' and is now "in full Ryan Reynolds mode."

"It shows," the source added.

The insider said of Justin, "He did help out on 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' and he is an idea factory, but the ‘wannabe energy’ is palpable."

However, they added that 'The Leftovers' actor would serve his interests better if he carved his own path.

The source warned, "Justin needs to find his own lane instead of following in the footsteps of his more successful peers."

"Justin is always chasing somebody because he’s so heavily invested in his career and his personal reputation and trying to up his game, but at the end of the day, it just feels like he’s trying too hard, and it’s kind of pathetic," the insider said.

How Ryan Reynolds made 'Deadpool & Wolverine' into R-rated magic

It would be an understatement to say that Ryan Reynolds and Disney seemed like strange bedfellows when the studio acquired the R-rated 'Deadpool' series when Fox merged.

Actor, marketer, branding specialist, and entrepreneur Ryan was the driving force behind the two initial films' bold marketing campaigns.

With the support of his own marketing company, Maximum Effort, and Disney's experience and reach, Ryan's marketing acumen and Marvel's record-breaking 'Deadpool & Wolverine' came together to produce a magical combination that made the film the highest-grossing R-rated picture ever.

"To me, the biggest challenge was avoiding the more R-rated marketing instincts of Deadpool. The marketing was meant to feel all-audience audience as opposed to leaning into a specific comedy, action or superhero genre," Ryan told The Hollywood Reporter.

He added, "The selection of collaborations sent a message about how broad we wanted to go — Heinz, Dave&Busters, NatGeo, TCM and Bachelorette — but so did the way we wrote them, which was playful but not third rail."