Miles Teller has acknowledged Ryan Reynolds and George Clooney as the pioneers of the "celebrity spirit" boom. In a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor shared his thoughts on their influence and his own experience in the industry.
He revealed that he hasn't been in touch with either Reynolds or Clooney since the sale of The Finnish Long Drink, a canned cocktail beverage firm in which he had a minority share, was acquired by the Mark Anthony Group of Companies for a reported $325 million. Given the deal's similarities to Reynolds' massive success in selling Aviation American Gin to Diageo for up to $610 million in 2020, the actor was asked if Reynolds had reached out to congratulate him on the financial gain.
"That first wave of guys with Ryan and Clooney and Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman - it kind of started it all off, where you had a lot of these celebrity copycats come in and say, 'Oh man, look at this cash grab,'" he explained. However, he emphasized that building a business is not as easy as it seems. "If you do the research on the celebrity brands, a lot of times it doesn’t work out. It’s tough to build a business, in general."
He also noted that many friends who have built and failed companies have congratulated him on his success. "I’m sure it’s less than one per cent of people who start companies who end up selling it for any kind of profit," he said. "It feels good because it was a new arena for me, and I’m really proud of it."
In conclusion, Teller expressed his excitement for the founders of The Finnish Long Drink, who come from a country that doesn't typically export much on the global stage. "How cool for them to achieve this level of success," he said.
