Why Grimace In McDonalds' 2022 Super Bowl Commercial Sounded So Familiar

"Can I get uhhhhh," says pretty much everyone in the 2022 McDonald's Super Bowl commercial, in which the brand pokes fun at its indecisive customers (via YouTube). The ad nods to the funny truth that while the McDonald's menu has stayed pretty much the same over the years, many of us still don't know what to order when we pull up to the drive-thru. The brief spot also features some surprise celebrity cameos, such as one from Ye (Kanye West).

Beyond the appearances from famous humans, however, the commercial also includes a visit from a McDonald's cartoon character: Grimace, the purple blob-like creature from Happy Meals past. The cameo surely thrilled anyone who appreciates a little '80s and '90s nostalgia. It at least caught the attention of whoever runs the Aviation American Gin Twitter account, which tweeted, "Uhhh... the voice of Grimace sounds oddly familiar. Did @McDonalds hire a certain Canadian drink-slinging McRiblet?" along with a meme of Ryan Reynolds. Replying to confirm his participation in the ad was none other than Reynolds himself: "Yes. Confirmed. It's called range."

Ryan Reynolds might seem like a random actor to voice Grimace, but the actor's love for the classic McDonald's character appears to have a history. One Twitter user showed up with receipts, sharing a photo of Reynolds posing with Grimace at an event. 

As for why Aviation American Gin tweeted about Reynolds' participation in the commercial, that's also not random. Reynolds is a co-owner of the alcohol brand, per its website. Back in November of 2021, Reynolds shared a video of himself making a McRib-inspired cocktail with Aviation gin to "celebrate the return of America's favorite rib-shaped sandwich." At the end of the ad, he said, "Bring back Grimace, godd***it!" 

More than a year later, McDonald's fulfilled Reynolds' wish. The chain brought Grimace back to television screens everywhere, and it even got the adoring actor to help make it happen.