Ryan Gosling Takes Risk in 'The Fall Guy'

Ryan Gosling will be leaving the beach later this spring to take on a riskier role in the feature-film reboot of the 80s action TV series The Fall Guy. But if the role is risky in a physical sense, it's right in Gosling's sweet spot in many other ways. Read on for details.


Via Variety.

In 99% of Hollywood movies, the goal is to make the stunt work invisible. Audiences are supposed to believe that the star — or better yet, the character he plays — put his own life at risk jumping off buildings, blowing up cars or duking it out with squads of bad guys. In “The Fall Guy,” the stuntman gets to be the hero (of an insanely overcomplicated story), while the star is a prima donna who claims to do all his own stunts but needs his double to step in when things get tough.

“The Fall Guy” is funny, it’s sexy, and it features the boy-toy version of “Barbie” scene-stealer Ryan Gosling — which is to say, this time around, he embodies the ultimate action figure. This is the charisma-radiating side of Gosling audiences love (as opposed to expressionless “Only God Forgives” Gosling), and though his character doesn’t have much depth, you could hardly wish for better casting.

Everybody knows that stuntmen are more impressive than the movie stars whose gnarliest feats they perform. It’s the reason Tom Cruise insists on doing his own stunts (or claims he does, at least). Daredevil Cliff Booth is by far the coolest person Brad Pitt ever played. In the role of Colt Seavers — originated by Lee Majors on Glen A. Larson’s early-’80s television show — Gosling gets to have it both ways.

Colt sets Guinness Book records (most notably a crazy cannon roll in which driving ace Logan Holladay flips an SUV eight and a half times), and though we know Gosling just stepped in to give the thumbs-up when the stunt is done, in a classy way he’s actually sharing credit with the crew. Not just the stunt guys either, but everyone who hustles to make a movie. Gosling comes off looking gracious, and at the end of the day, he’s still the one who gets the girl.

The girl, in this case, is Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), the director of a multimillion-dollar sci-fi blockbuster called “Metalstorm” — a camerawoman getting to call the shots for the first time. Clearly, a lot has changed in Hollywood since ABC first aired “The Fall Guy” in 1981, and the feature version does something incredibly smart by making Colt’s old flame the boss on this particular production. (Her boss is also a woman: ballbuster producer Gail Meyer, played with stop-at-nothing brio by “Ted Lasso” manager Hannah Waddingham.)

Worth noting: Back in 1981, stunt legend Hal Needham directed “The Cannonball Run,” which means the transition from double to director is nothing new. Former stunt maven David Leitch has been directing features for a decade, starting with “John Wick.” With this project, the helmer has an unparalleled opportunity to honor his original profession. In recent years, bluescreens, digital effects and the fast-evolving field of AI have pushed those who do the real-world exploits even farther to impress.

Get the rest of the story at Variety.