Actor Ryan Gosling has decided to take a break from intense, dark film roles. He is now focusing on lighter, more fun projects instead.
Gosling starred in several critically-acclaimed but emotionally heavy movies like La La Land, First Man, and The Nice Guys in recent years. However, he said the filming process for these serious roles took a mental toll on him.
I thinkLa La Landwas the first. It was just sort of like, Oh, this will be fun for them, too, because even though they’re not coming to set, we’re practicing piano every day or we’re dancing or we’re singing. Their interest in Barbie and their disinterest in Ken was an inspiration. I thought, they were already making little movies about their Barbies on the iPad when it happened, so the fact that I was going off to work to make one too, we just felt like we were aligned.
“I’m just taking a little hiatus from the heavier stuff,” Gosling stated. His new approach is to find more lighthearted, entertaining films that allow him to simply enjoy the experience.
La La Land in 2016 marked a turning point for Gosling. As his first big musical romantic drama, he realized this genre opened up opportunities beyond just intense character roles.
Gosling’s recent role as Ken in the film Barbie showcased his aim for more audience-friendly plots for now. However, he did not rule out returning to grittier, darker movies again someday when he feels ready.
The actor emphasized that this mindset shift is about maximizing his own fulfillment with each project. Focusing too heavily on serious, dramatic roles was starting to negatively impact his passion for movie-making.
A major factor is also being more present at home for his two young daughters, ages 8 and 9, after work. Gosling wants to avoid roles that will put him “in some kind of dark place” mentally.