Canadian-born superstar actor Ryan Gosling has gone from playing Ken in the mega box office hit movie, Barbie, to singing “I’m Just Ken” at the recent Oscars, and now is jumping off burning buildings and rocking it with Emily Blunt in their new action flick The Fall Guy.
Gosling, 43, shares two daughters (Esmeralda Amada, 9, and Amada Lee, 7) with fellow actor and long-time partner Eva Mendes. And, after moving from Cornwall, Ontario to Orlando, Florida as a child actor appearing in the All New Mickey Mouse Club TV show, Gosling was propelled into box office fame in 2004 when he appeared in the heartbreaking weeper, The Notebook.
Affable Gosling talks about his new movie, The Fall Guy which is based on a 1980 TV series, and how he went from living in a trailer park to being the toast of Hollywood.
What Did You Learn from the Real Stunt Professionals on the Set of The Fall Guy?
When a stunt guy gives up a thumbs up, it’s something they use after a dangerous stunt, that everyone knows is dangerous. And, it’s just to let everyone know you’re okay, no paramedic has to be called in. I watched one of our stunt team do like eight fire burns in one day. And, it’s incredibly tense all morning when you’re watching the stunt crew prepare, just waiting for that thumbs up. And, it’s an awesome moment when they pull it off, and hard to describe the energy. They love the adrenaline and the bravery and the skill involved, but so many things have to be right for it to work, when there are car rollovers, clothes burning…and, dropping from a building.
What it was Like Doing Some of Those Amazing Stunts with the Team on the Movie— What Sort of Fear Factor is Involved?
To be honest, I do have a fear of heights but I had to do a jump. And, it was more like I was dropped off a 12-storey building. I was losing my mind and turning to stone. And, I had to act like it was just another day at the office. But the scene had to happen. So, I did it. I gave my thumbs up. But, I didn’t overcome my fear of doing it. I just trusted the people involved. They are the best at what they do. While my stunt guy character says in the movie, “I’m not the hero of this story, I’m just the stunt guy”—the stunt guys really are the heroes.
How Was it Dancing with a Crew and Singing “I’m Just Ken” live at the Oscars?
It was pretty sweet just to perform an Oscar-nominated song. It brought back all my childhood dreams about wanting to be a performer. [Laughs] I still can’t sing and dance. However, it was a lot of fun and performing with the likes of Slash (Guns N’ Roses) and Mark Ronson was awesome. Are you kidding me?
What Sticks out for You Growing up?
As a kid, we never really had a house, we were living in apartments or a trailer, and we were often moving. My mum loved to cook and bake, and to earn some extra cash, she’d make these amazing wedding and party cakes, so there were always these amazing smells in the kitchen. Later when my career got going, it was a comforting feeling to finally have a home.
How Did the All New Mickey Mouse Club Gig Come About?
I always wanted to be a dancer and perform—all the cute girls in school in Canada wanted to dance, so I did too. I auditioned for the show and surprisingly it worked. When I got hired for the show in Orlando, my mum packed us up and went with me. It was exciting, and I got on a show with Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. [Laughs] But the producers figured out quickly I couldn’t really dance or sing very well. So, they didn’t use me much.
Is it True You and Your Mum Lived in a Trailer Park?
I kid you not, we moved into Yogi Bear Park, a trailer park. It was all so new, and what’s not to like? I was on a Disney TV show! But we found there was actually a class system in trailer parks. For example, if you have wheels on your trailer, you’re looked down upon. But if it’s stationary, you’re considered living the dream.
What Was it Like Being in the World of Disney?
When I was a kid, I used to walk around the Disney World park, thinking I wanted to be like Walt Disney, someone who totally believed in his own ideas. He had this idea that he believed in and he made his fantasy a reality, big time.
What Were your Initial Experiences Going from Cornwall, Ontario to Orlando, New York, then Los Angeles?
It was actually helpful to grow up in smalltown Canada—if I had grown up in a big city like LA, it might’ve been easy to forget there is a world outside of it. But, when I did get to LA, I remember driving around the City of Angels at night listening to music, and it was just a blast for me. The city can get surprisingly quiet at night and you’re alone with yourself.
What Has the World of Acting Brought You?
Apart from all the great locations, like being in Australia for The Fall Guy, it brings you to so many other elements in life—like playing music and dancing in La La Land, then doing stunt work in action thrillers. [Laughs] And, it brings you into acting as if you can really sing and dance. Or, like growing up, I was never a car gearhead, or into car magazines. But then you get to see what that’s about after doing a movie like Drive, where I play an expert getaway driver.
Which Actors Have Inspired You?
When I was working with Russell Crowe, we got to see Russell’s sheer breadth of talent, going from his role in The Insider, in a completely different heroic role, to Maximus in Gladiator. And, it changed my concept of what acting was about. I had never seen such a turnaround from those roles to something even more different in the more comedic The Nice Guys that we appeared in together.
Check out author Ashley Jude Collie’s top-10 biography, “Harlem to Hollywood” on Amazon worldwide. And, also drop in on the clip of Ryan Gosling performing, I’m Just Ken, at the Oscars.
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