John C. Reilly is a national treasure, on par with Yellowstone, Wrigley Field and Krispy Kreme donuts, and today is his 49th birthday. If you weren’t already giddy about Reilly appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy, we can look forward to him teaming up again with Will Ferrell to undoubtedly add more embarrassment to the issue of immigration with Border Guards.
We could easily celebrate this sacred day by listening to “Boats ‘N Hoes” on a continuous loop or getting lost in a wormhole of Steve Brule segments — and don’t worry, we’ll get to those — but I thought it would be enjoyable to highlight Reilly’s versatility with a collection of his best YouTube clips. They’re nearly as diverse as his IMDB credits. So without further ado…
1. John C. Reilly’s Oscar sing-a-long with Will Ferrell and Jack Black.
Can an actor be both a clown and serious thespian at the same time? He can if His name is John C. Reilly, who is equally adaptable in Martin Scorsese films as he is with Adam McKay. Reilly’s musical message was directed at Ferrell and Black, but Jonah Hill seems to be the one who took this one to heart.
2. The time he robbed a train.
Silver Streak is a great train movie, but a film adaptation of Reilly’s childhood tale of robbing a train of cereal just might top it. Murder On The Captain Crunch Express — the thing practically writes itself. Make it happen, Hollywood!
3. Busted on the Lakers’ kiss cam.
I apologize that it’s a TMZ video, but regardless of Harvey Levin’s cronies, it’s still adorable to witness the loving bromance of two happily married men in their 40s kissing on the jumbotron.
4. He’s got a record deal with Jack White.
Walk Hard and Chicago tapped into Reilly’s musical side, and he’s been known for the occasional impromptu jam session. Here, Reilly and some friends cover the folksy Americana tune “I Ain’t Got No Home” by Woody Guthrie. His dabbling in music is pretty low-key, but he has released two singles on Jack White’s Third Man records.
5. Because for your health — Steve Brule.
It would be an internet crime to celebrate John C. Reilly and not pay tribute to his greatest character ever, the good doctor Steve Brule. Choosing just one clip to represent the childish insanity that is Brule is an almost impossible task, but because we’ll probably never see Steve Brule guest star on Sons Of Anarchy, this clip will have to do.
6. And of course, “Boats ‘N Hoes.” Duh.