After winning hearts with his performance as Ken in last year’s Barbie, Ryan Gosling will be seen in the upcoming action comedy The Fall Guy. Based on the TV series of the same name, the film is directed by David Leitch, who previously helmed Bullet Train and Deadpool 2. The film also stars Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Winston Duke.
Gosling plays the role of an aging stunt performer in the film. It reportedly has multiple action sequences that have pushed the limit in terms of practical stunts performed. Gosling was reportedly shocked by one of the sequences and expressed his regret about the stunt community not getting their due recognition in Hollywood.
Ryan Gosling Was Unhappy With A Stunt Scene In The Fall Guy
Ryan Gosling will be playing an aging stuntman in the upcoming David Leitch directorial The Fall Guy. While the original TV show followed the story of a stunt performer who moonlighted as a bounty hunter, the film follows Gosling’s Colt Seavers as he tries to retrieve a missing star played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who was supposed to act in the film directed by Emily Blunt’s Jody Moreno.
David Leitch mentioned how the film was a prequel of sorts to the show as it sets up the world in which Gosling’s character would be introduced. The filmmaker, who is known for helming action films such as Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train, mentioned in an interview that he was excited about the kind of action sequences they pulled off practically (via Vulture).
Leitch mentioned one particular stunt which was performed by Ryan Gosling’s stunt driver Logan Holladay. The film reportedly features a scene with a ‘canon roll’, where an air canon is mounted on the floorboards of the vehicle and aids in rolling it when fired. In the film, Holladay reportedly portrays the character who straps up Ryan Gosling in the vehicle, giving a meta moment to the scene.
Holladay mentioned to Vulture that Ryan Gosling was disturbed by the scene and expressed his discomfort with it. He said,
“He just looked at me and said, ‘Man, this is so messed up…You’re actually the guy who does this, and I’m the guy who’s acting to do it.’”
Leitch mentioned how the scene was also a tribute to the first ‘canon roll’ ever done on film in the movie McQ, which starred John Wayne. The stunt was performed by Gary McClarty in the film and was conceived by coordinator Ronnie Rondell.
Has Hollywood Ignored The Stunt Community?
In an interview with Vulture, director David Leitch mentioned how The Fall Guy was also a tribute to the stunt community who continue to not be honored at the Oscars. A former stunt performer, David Leitch mentioned how the community was treated by Hollywood, and how actors and stunt doubles used to have rivalries and said that he had many anecdotes since when he was a stuntman.
He also said that some actors have become better at recognizing the work done by stuntmen and giving them due credit. He said,
“We’re behind the scenes and we’re doing all the cool s*it, and the actor’s taking all the credit…Brad has been a huge supporter of the stunt community his entire career. And Keanu Reeves has highlighted stunts and was never afraid to say, ‘I work with these great stunt professionals who make me look good.’ That’s not always the case.”
The Oscars are yet to introduce a category to honor the stunt community. The Academy announced that they would be including the category of Best Casting Director in the next year, however, no mention of a stunt category has been made. However, this year’s ceremony reportedly had a video to honor the community, which was presented by Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (via EW).
