RYAN GOSLING‘I HATE WATCHING MYSELF ON SCREEN’
Turns out he isn’t ‘just’ Ken! The actor’s taking the fall in his new action comedy – made right here!
When Hollywood came to town in 2023 to film The Fall Guy in Sydney, it literally stopped traffic. Now, the fun flick – an adaptation of the classic ’80s TV series – is hitting screens and its star, Ryan Gosling, is telling Woman’s Day all about shooting in Oz, working with co-star Emily Blunt and how the 43-year-old is paying tribute to a special friend of his wife Eva Mendes in this film.
How much did you know about the TV show The Fall Guy before filming?
I knew a lot. I was a fan. I was a fan because my mum was a fan. It was a show we would watch together. That was a big part of my wanting to be a part of all this, and to pay homage to the real people who risk their lives every day to get movies made and to make people like me look good. [Laughs]
You have described the film as a love letter. A love letter to whom?
To action movies, to the stunt community and to movie-making in general. This is very much a love letter to it all.
Did playing a stuntman in the movie mean you didn’t need a stunt double for all those action scenes?
I did a few but none of the big stuff. This is a movie about stunt performers made by stunt performers. Our director is a former stunt performer, so I was never going to be allowed to do the big stunt – even if I could, which I couldn’t! We had some of the greatest stunt performers in the business today working on the film but I did get to do a few things.
What was the scariest thing you did?
Getting dropped 12 stories off of a building was pretty scary. Getting dragged by a truck across Sydney Harbour Bridge holding a shovel was also pretty scary.
How did you manage to close off Sydney Harbour Bridge to do something like that?
We shot it really early, so we didn’t disrupt traffic too much. But it was too early and I wasn’t fully caffeinated. [Laughs] But I just grabbed that shovel and off we went. We actually did it a few times.
Do you ever wish you could do even bigger stunts, especially some of the incredible ones we see in this movie?
Nope. I’m happy to leave it to the professionals.
I’ve had a stunt double my whole life. I’m happy to let them do all the cool stuff – the dangerous stuff – and then have me come in and pretend like
I did it all. It’s a very strange dynamic.
Do you think that stunt performers might get some more recognition because of this movie?
I really hope so. They deserve more credit, but it’s weird because the whole point of a stunt double is to not be recognised. But hopefully this movie at least shines a light on the incredible work and skill of the stunt community.
Actor Lee Majors was the original Colt Seavers, of course. How was it having him be a part of this movie?
Lee is incredible. He’s a legend, of course, but he’s also such a sweet and
cool guy. As a fan I was excited to meet him, and we are so grateful that he agreed to be part of this.
You and Emily Blunt make a great double act. Is that something you had to work hard on?
No, with Emily, all that stuff is easy. She’s incredibly talented and so much fun to work with. We had a lot of fun together.
Another co-star you have great chemistry with in the movie is Colt’s dog...
Eva [Mendes] used to have a dog named Hugo, who was a Belgian malinois, who was an attack dog, and he only spoke
French. He has passed now and so this is my homage to him, to Hugo. I miss that dude. He was a bon garcon [good boy].
Are you someone who enjoys watching yourself in movies?
No, I don’t like it all. I can do it and I do do it, but I find it impossible not to criticise myself. But that makes you better, I think. But this one I enjoy despite the fact I’m in it! If Barbie was a party that everyone was invited to, this is the afterparty that everyone can come to afterwards. It’s for everyone.