He Went Too Far—Ryan Gosling Gains Weight For Role But Misses Out For Overdoing It

Just days before production, Gosling was unexpectedly dropped.

Damjan

• Published in Film & TV
• September 10, 2024

In the ever-changing world of filmmaking, actors often face unexpected challenges and changes. The journey from script to screen is rarely smooth, and behind the scenes, numerous factors can lead to sudden shifts in casting.

One such instance involves actor Ryan Gosling, who recently shared a story about being removed from a project due to weight gain. The film is a 2009 adaptation of Alice Sebold’s acclaimed novel, directed by Peter Jackson.

The story centers on Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who her neighbor murders. In the afterlife, Susie watches over her family as they grapple with their grief and seek justice for her death.

This emotionally charged narrative features Saoirse Ronan as Susie, Stanley Tucci as the neighbor, George Harvey, and Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents. Before Wahlberg was cast as Jack Salmon, Gosling was initially selected for the role.

However, just days before production was set to begin in 2007, Gosling was unexpectedly dropped from the film. Gosling explained that his departure was due to his physical appearance. According to him, his weight gain led to creative differences with Jackson. The actor and director had contrasting visions for the character, ultimately leading to Gosling’s removal from the project.

Ryan Gosling 2007 was already making waves in Hollywood with a career that had gained significant momentum.

Gosling, who put on 60 pounds, said:

"I really believed he should be 210 pounds. We didn’t talk very much during the preproduction process, which was the problem. It was a huge movie, and there’s so many things to deal with, and he couldn’t deal with the actors individually. I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed."

The situation highlights a common yet often overlooked aspect of the film industry: the impact of physical appearance on casting decisions. Actors frequently undergo significant changes in their physical attributes for various roles, and sometimes, these changes can influence their involvement in a project.

For Gosling, the shift in his body weight became crucial in the casting decision, illustrating the tightrope between actors' appearance and the expectations of directors and producers.

Ryan Gosling attended The Fall Guy premiere earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the director's wife, Fran Walsh, shared:

"Ryan came to us two or three times and said, 'I’m not the right person for this role. I’m too young'. And we said, ‘No, no, no. We can age you up. We can thin your hair.’ We were very keen.

It wasn’t until we were in preproduction and we had the cast there that it became increasingly clear: He was so uncomfortable moving forward, and we began to feel he was not right. It was our blindness, the desire to make it work no matter what."

Peter Jackson's adaptation of Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones eventually saw a different actor take on the role of Jack Salmon, and the film went on to receive mixed reviews. Despite the film’s reception, the story of Gosling’s removal sheds light on the complexities of the industry and the personal sacrifices actors often make.

Damjan