Yahoo News Josh Allen and Daniel Ricciardo on Buying a Racehorse, Their “Bromance” and Respective Sports
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo are ready to tackle their next big endeavor: Owning a racehorse — well, a fictional one, at least. The pair, who happen to be real-life friends, are starring in a new Beats comedic short film campaign titled, “The Legend of Ricallen.”
“It’s now the legend of Ric. There’s no more Ricallen,” Ricciardo jokingly tells The Hollywood Reporter on a morning video call after his co-star was unable to make it.
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The six-and-a-half-minute short film, which Beats dropped Wednesday morning, opens with the pair FaceTiming, wondering how they can take their friendship to the next level. “Like buy a soccer team?” Allen questions in the video, a nod to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Allen and Ricciardo eventually settle on buying a racehorse.
“The Legend of Ricallen” marks the first time Allen and Ricciardo — both accomplished in their respective sports — have worked together. However, the duo have been friends for quite some time.
“Josh and I, over the last few years, have definitely become good friends and created a bromance, if you will,” Ricciardo explains. Allen seems to feel the same, later telling THR: “DR [Ricciardo] and I have been friends for several years now. They don’t make ’em any better than him.”
The Australian race car driver says the idea behind the short film came through their partnerships with Beats. When the idea was presented, he immediately said yes. “It was 100 percent the funnest work day,” Ricciardo says about shooting the film with Allen. “I don’t even want to call it a work day.”
Allen, like Ricciardo, commits fully to acting and having fun in the video and says he has enjoyed it all. “Ricallen has been a unique experience from start to finish,” the quarterback says. “I’ve enjoyed the process from strategy to the much-anticipated release of the final spot. The creative on this one has allowed us both to have fun with it and that’ll be clear when it airs.”
Ricciardo says he’d like to think the duo’s friendship shines through the silliness of the video. “We kind of kept trying to throw each other… a little bit under the bus in a funny way, so it was really cool,” the driver adds.
In addition to making their acting debuts, both Allen and Ricciardo have been busy working hard in their main roles as Buffalo Bills quarterback and RB F1 team driver, respectively.
Allen began training camp with the Buffalo Bills today. “I feel great about the season,” Allen tells THR earlier in the week. “I’m really excited to get to training camp and get to work with this group of guys.”
Ricciardo, currently driving under Red Bull’s RB F1 team, had already been well-known within the world of F1 when Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive first premiered. The Australian driver, featured heavily throughout the show’s six seasons, became an early fan favorite for viewers, leading to a host of outside opportunities. Ricciardo notes some people have a certain perception of taking on projects like this one.
“People say, ‘Oh, these things are distractions,'” Ricciardo explains. “And for me, there is a clear category. There is distractions, but then there is good distractions, or things that actually are good for you and get you working or thinking in a different way, in a way that isn’t taxing, isn’t draining.”
The F1 driver notes that taking on “The Legend of Ricallen” was about a new experience. “I’m very big on that, just doing stuff that I haven’t done before and maybe something a little bit out of my comfort zone,” Ricciardo explains. “At the end of the day, you can also learn a lot about yourself in situations like this.”
The F1 summer break is fast approaching, but Ricciardo, speaking with THR before the Hungarian Grand Prix, says he has been “feeling really good.”
“I do love this part of the season, the summer,” the driver explains. “It’s going to be physical, and these are two races… every race you want to do good, but it’s two [Hungarian Grand Prix and Belgian Grand Prix] to really leave a strong impression before the summer break.”
Ricciardo continues, “A lot happens naturally in the summer break. There’s just always driver market… things are moving around and people are talking, so let’s say to leave a good impression is really important.”
The driver adds: “I’ve been training hard and well and just hopefully it translates to some good results.”
Allen and Ricciardo, in partnership with Beats and the F1 driver’s clothing company Enchanté, are also releasing “The Legend of Ricallen” merchandise, including a T-shirt, bandana and trucker hat. The items are available for pre-order on the website.
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