Ryan Gosling Interview

Where do his mannerisms come from?

You think you have all these great ideas, and none of them are good at the end of the day. But while you are pursuing those other things subconsciously happen. Like the blinking: we felt that Lars was like watching a movie of his own life. But every once in a while he’d have to be present or say something. This brought him back to his body.

Do you think you have a reputation for being difficult on set?

Possibly, although Lars definitely was not rooted in conflict. My job is to fight for my character, no matter what. Even if that puts me up against the director or producer. But Craig was somebody I just didn’t have to do that with.

For the first week my driver wouldn’t say anything to me. Finally I said 'I’ve been talking to you all week and you never say anything back. It’s not nice' And he said 'I was told not to talk to you. I heard you were real "method" and I was only supposed to call you Lars and not supposed to look you in the eye'! I was so embarrassed. I don’t know how this stuff gets out, but I really don’t deserve it.

You don’t suffer for your 'art' then?

I don’t know what art is exactly, but I’m pretty sure it’s not something you get paid to do. For myself this is a job.

I think it’s easier to get better at it if you don’t lose your identity in it. You do whatever you can to try to understand the character. Because they’re paying you feel like you should be doing something.

Things like staying in a garage make me seem like I’m super-serious. I don’t think that’s method as much as it’s like I got hired to do a job. It’s like me gaining weight for the role.

I’m just doing my job. My body was not the body of a guy who just sat in his garage, so I had to change it.

Did you do any research on guys who have these dolls?

I didn’t. For me Lars doesn’t know that he has one. When you’re a kid you have a teddy bear, and you love that teddy bear. And Lars is a big kid - he’s not moved on.

Did you worry about the reaction that Lars would get?

You can’t make a movie for everybody. You can’t go into it trying to alienate people, but you have to assume that you’re going to. But Lars is more like a storybook like 'The Velveteen Rabbit'.

It’s not sexual, I think that would turn people off to the film for sure. One of the things Lars and Bianca are always fighting about is that she wants to be physical and he’s not ready.

You sound proud of the movie:

When I was a kid it was a big deal to go to the movies. And when the movie was no good I was really disappointed for the whole week. So I wanna give people their money’s worth, and with Lars we’ve done that. You’ve never seen anything like this.

Did you base your performance on any other actors?

My first thought after reading the script was it’s too bad Gene Wilder can’t do this. Gene Wilder is like my Marlon Brando. Some actors give you serious, or funny, or scary. He gives you everything and you figure it out.

There’s also Jimmy Stewart in Harvey he was acting for him and Harvey, and made Harvey real to you. Like his character Lars has an imaginary friend. It doesn’t matter that she’s not real, because she’s real to him.

Will you work with Bianca again?

Definitely. She’s at my house right now reading a book by the window. I have a Bianca, and Craig has a Bianca.

When they dropped her off at my house I was going out. I thought 'I can’t really leave her'. So I brought her out to the bar. As soon as you bring Bianca the whole party livens up!

Lars and the Real Girl is released 21st March.

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