Ryan Gosling talks 'The Gray Man' and embracing his 'Kenaissance'
Ryan Gosling says he has always wanted to make an action film and is checking off that box with his latest movie, "The Gray Man," directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
The Oscar-nominated actor, who is known for his roles in "La La Land," "The Big Short," "The Notebook" and more, opened up about his desire to venture into that realm while appearing on "Good Morning America" Thursday.
Gosling spoke about how he loved the action genre growing up, admitting it's "probably what made me fall in love with movies."
"It took a long time to get there but, you know, it was like finding the right one, finding the right character and obviously the Russo brothers directing this, who have been doing this for a decade at Marvel and killing it, I just knew I could go along for the crazy ride and feel comfortable with them driving," he continued.
Gosling, who shares two daughters with his partner, actress Eva Mendes, spoke about making the film and also shared a funny moment involving his family that took place while he was filming in Prague.
"The whole sequence hinges on me being handcuffed to this bench," he said recalling one scene in particular. "...There's lots of explosions going off and I was there with Eva and the kids and they were in a hotel nearby."
"I got a call in the middle of one of the scenes and I kind of hid behind the bench and used my free hand and it was Eva saying, how long are these explosions going to go on because the girls have a piano zoom class,'" he said.
Elsewhere in the movie, Gosling's character, Sierra Six, is mocked by former CIA Agent Lloyd Hansen -- played by Chris Evans -- and referred to as "Ken Doll." The comment is a reference to Gosling's real-life role playing Ken in the upcoming live-action Barbie film.
Gosling said the line was added into the script of "The Gray Man" after he was cast in the Barbie film.
"They could feel it, I guess," he shared with a laugh. "I was the last to recognize the Ken in me but -- I see it clearly now."
Gosling was tight-lipped when pressed for more details about his role as Ken in the upcoming Greta Gerwig-directed film but seized the opportunity to crack a few jokes.
He admitted he was experiencing a "Kenaissance," and, speaking of what defines Ken, added, "It's hard. You know, a lot of people don't know this, George Lucas based The Force on 'kenergy.' It's always been there. And we're going to talk about it next time."
"The Gray Man" is out in select theaters now and hits Netflix Friday.
