Ryan Gosling on Curiosity, Aliens, and Project Hail Mary

In this episode of Curiosity Theory, Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer sit down with Ryan Gosling to talk about the highly anticipated sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel.

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Ryan shares what it was like bringing the story to life on screen, including acting alongside the alien character Rocky and exploring the film’s themes of curiosity, collaboration, and scientific discovery. The conversation touches on the role of science fiction in inspiring future scientists, the challenges of portraying space realistically on film, and how curiosity can transform fear into exploration.

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Hosted by Dr. Dakotah Tyler and Justin Shaifer

Stay curious.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey, thanks everybody for joining us again. Curiosity Theory here. I am your co-host, Dr. Dakota Tyler, astrophysicist and science communicator, here with my co-host.

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Justin Schaefer, also known as Mr. Fascinate, the other half of Curiosity Theory. And we are joined here with a very, very special guest, the one and only Ryan Gosling himself, here to talk to us about a sci-fi film that we've been nerding out about for the past, I don't know, we've been nerding about the book for a long time, the past couple weeks. Big time. Project Hail Mary. Ryan, uh, it's a pleasure to have you on. This is a fantastic movie. Uh kind of a tearjerker a little bit, man. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here. Yeah, man. Um, so let's get into it. I one of the things that we really nerd out about on our show uh is science fiction. Like Dakota and I are both huge sci-fi nerds. And one of the things that we always talk about as a critique of previous sci-fi films, and I'm sure you can understand this point, is that so many alien civilizations that are depicted in sci-fi are these humanoid bipedal organisms, right? They kind of just look like humans with costumes on. A lot of times they actually are that.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Uh, and a reason for that, from my understanding, is because, you know, a lot of films in Hollywood, they're like, well, we need to make an alien that feels relatable, that people can connect with. Uh, and so, you know, that's why we can't make things that are exotic or imaginative. But the this is a huge exception, right? Project Hail Mary uh had Rocky, a super cool alien. But I think what really brought that to life was your ping-pong interaction with Rocky as an actor. And I'm just curious of like how you got to that headspace, man, of being able to channel that lovability and relatability with an a truly alien alien.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

He's here in the hotel, by the way. I wish he was here in this room doing this interview. I kid you not, he's in the presidential suite. Oh, dang. Oh, seriously, yeah. But uh, I'm doing all the press. So that just gives you a little glimpse into what it's like to work with him. He's a he's a bit of a diva. He doesn't speak our language. He doesn't speak our language. He's a bit, you know, he's high maintenance. He has uh he has five like glam squad that's like five puppeteers that dress like ninjas that roll with him everywhere he goes. It's a whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

I can imagine, man, it Rocky kind of has like a uh probably a more form-fitting suit at this point, right? It was like a bubble at first, and now it's kind of more tight. I can imagine it's almost invisible at this point.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yeah, he's been working out a lot since he's he knew he was coming to LA.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Rocky's been lifting. Has Rocky seen Rocky?

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Yeah, he's all swole. What's that?

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Has Rocky seen Rocky?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Rocky, I made him watch all the Rocky's.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

And the Creeds. I took him through the whole journey.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

The Rockys and the Creeds.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

It was pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

No, that's cool, man. I mean, so Rocky, you and Rocky are best buds at this point, man. How does it do you feel like that's a interesting relationship that you all have in a in a unique way? I mean, like, you you guys have like a kind of a couples therapy thing going on. I mean, there's a lot to unpack after that movie.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Yeah, you know, I think um, well, I was um, I I love what you were saying earlier, just in the sense that I do think he's a kind of I think he's look, he's the best alien friend you're ever gonna have, but I I do think he's like a a uh like a a very credible um uh vision of of what this kind of a relationship might actually be like, you know. I mean Andy Weir is you know, you you could argue if you don't have a problem, you don't have a story. And there's no one that I know better than creating problems and then solving them than Andy. You know, he made everything so hard, and that's what's so beautiful about it. And by the end of the film, it's it the the connection is so hard-earned. And I think the choice that that we made to make Rocky a practical, uh a physical element in the scene, um, and not a visual effect, you know, it it created so many problems in its own right, you know. We had to cut holes in the ship for him and the Rocketeers to fit into and things he can do and can't do, and things that worked and didn't not didn't work, and it was a it was a struggle, but but that's the relationship in the film. I mean, they can't be in the same atmosphere, they don't speak the same language, um, they can't touch, like and then how are they gonna solve the universe's biggest problems if they can't even get into the same room and communicate? So, you know, a lot of experimentation, a lot of trying, a lot of failing. And as we were telling that story, we were also experiencing that in the filming. So, you know, you really do create your you it's the life starts to mirror art. Yeah. And it forms a connection because of the struggle.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Yeah, yeah. So, Ryan, I'm a scientist, and a big theme in science is how like curiosity uh overcomes fear. And I'm curious from your perspective, you know, you're you're kind of used to playing the lone hero character where maybe you need to go out and save society or save the world, save humanity. And then there's like this other class of movies that are more about like first contact and that sort of thing. But this this sort of blends those two together. And I wonder on your side, did you feel like there was a little bit of a different preparation to be the hero that also needs to collaborate with this mysterious entity as opposed to just kind of like doing it all yourself?

SPEAKER_00 6:04

First of all, so cool that you could just say I'm a scientist so casually like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

That was that was putting that in my resume too, by the way. So smooth. Um, this was different in every way. You know, I've played uh the more traditional hero, you know, had to be stoic, someone that in some way knew that they were uh, you know, destined for this. This character's the opposite, right? He's he puts the knot in astronaut. He never had any vision of himself as a hero, never wanted to be, and yet finds out that the fate of the universe is in his hands. And um, again, like not to play, talk too much about the meta nature of the script, but I do think it's part of the secret sauce of the film, is that this mission of making this movie, this book, into a film just felt impossible as well. You know, when I when I got the manuscript before it was published, I I had no context for it. I nobody had read it. I mean, that I knew, I didn't know what it was about. And so it was given to me in a time when movie theaters were closing and uh film productions were shutting down, and here is this the most epic film uh story that I'll ever probably be a part of. And it felt like you know, like a Hail Mary in its own right. So it sort of started from the inception of the idea was just like, how do we achieve this? You know, and and and we're going to do it through putting together the best team possible. I mean, it had I had to get Lord and Miller, I had to have Amy Pascal's help, we had to get Drew Goddard, we had to get Greg Frazier to shoot it, we had to get Paul Lambert to do the VFX. It was just this like um suddenly it felt like the film, you know, it was like we were gonna assemble this team and try and do this thing that that felt impossible, but it was so it felt important to us to try. So we just channeled that. I think that's what's so unique about Andy's work is that he gives you this opportunity to pivot from these dystopian future ideas that feel so bleak and inevitable. And he it gives you this opportunity to say, maybe the future is not something to fear, rather to be figured out. And that sense of that shift um is so inspiring, you know, even as a filmmaker, because you know, it was a daunting task to make this film, but I I tried to learn from the character and just turn my anxiety into curiosity and and let that drive me. And and and and and here we are. And uh I'm getting to talk to you about it today, you know. So it it works.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

I uh I like what you said there that you you kind of learn from the character. Um, and is there maybe like a lesson that you feel like is important for just people to hear uh that you learned from the character? Like maybe some quality or characteristic that would be good if you know everybody took on a little bit more of.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

And we're capable of more than we think that we are. And oftentimes it takes someone to believe in you in order to discover that. And, you know, Strat believes in Ryland before he ever believes in himself. But of course, it's it's it's it's in there, he's just not aware of it. And I think, you know, even though this is you, you you go to another galaxy, you make an alien best friend, and you save the world, it it doesn't feel escapist. It feels ultimately like a reminder of what we're capable of as human beings.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Yeah, I think that that's a beautiful way to put it, man. Like I, you know, like Dakota, who also teaches science, you know, I've I've been a STEM educator for a while. Uh so you know, we are kind of both able to see ourselves in the character that you know you depicted, and you know, kind of their reluctance to, I think, you know, jump into the fray on certain aspects in life. Um, but I'm curious about, you know, where you went, like what place you went to uh to channel that character. Did you have like a favorite science teacher growing up or was it something like that?

SPEAKER_00 10:27

You know what made a big impact on me was Val Kilmer and Real Genius. You know, he just made um science seem so cool. And uh, you know, I love people like Segan and uh you know Brian Cox came to set and talked to us. And I I don't pretend to understand uh any of it, but I'm I'm I'm fascinated by it. And it's I love being around people that do. And uh I think it's really exciting to be a part of a of a of a time in in in the history where the universe is is is looking at itself, and uh there's so much space exploration going on, and the conversation about whether there's life in the universe has seemed to shift from is there life to uh just exactly where it is and when we'll find it. And I think it's a beautiful uh time for a film like this to arrive, which sort of evolves the conversation from ET, you know, where uh it's not, you know, you have to go to him, he doesn't come to you, and the scientists are the good guys, not the bad guys.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Right. And I I think it's a powerful narrative that I think people need a reminder of today. I think, as with us both being science educators, you know, one of the most powerful tools that I think a big sci-fi concept like this does is it sparks the imagination of young people. So people that watch Project Hail Mary, just like they saw The Martian or Interstellar, are gonna grow up and one day want to become scientists because of how you depicted that character on screen. You know, and I think uh, you know, as I'm kind of looking into doing more creative endeavors in the science fiction universe, I'm like, this is why I want to do it, because it feels like the first line of education is inspiration. And that's precisely what you all are doing with Project Hill Mary.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Well, thank you so much. You know, that's something that was definitely, you know, the real dream is to want to inspire a younger generation to to join STEM programs and to feel like, you know, this is something that that that not that again, like that the future is not something to fear, but but to be figured out and that we're capable of amazing things and that you know human beings are always and have always made the impossible possible. It's it's kind of our thing.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Yeah, man. No, a hundred percent agree with that. Uh any any fun outtakes from set that uh like interesting, kind of like faux pas with the costumes and stuff. It seemed like you all had a pretty complicated production going on. Anything that cool that you think would be worth sharing?

SPEAKER_00 13:18

It was such a mind-bender because you know, the ship has to operate in two forms of gravity. So there's there's so there's it's basically two ships in one. So we had to build two ships essentially. Uh, and you know, the scientific instruments don't work in zero gravity. So then they have to, we have to create gravity, and we do that with a centrifuge. And um obviously then once Rocky gets involved, like he's in a different atmosphere. And and you know, there's it's just two of everything. And it just it just made so much, it was so perfect that that we had two directors, you know, because it just it just perfectly embodied the sort of um this movie's do always doing uh it's walking and chewing gum at the same time or or or falling down and and chewing gum, you know. And and that's another thing I think that, you know, I've done films before uh uh where I did zero G, and it's always it's just so challenging to make it seem realistic. It just never, even in other films, I never feel like it feels real. It feels like harnesses. And you do the best you can, but it's um the physics are just hard to beat, and it's just somehow you you can smell a rat even if you don't know exactly what it is. And I thought that the hack on that for this would be that that he's he's bad at space. So he it doesn't have to be elegant, it can be inelegant. And um, I watched a lot of Chaplin films, uh specifically modern times, where he's caught in the gears, uh, and I thought we tried to design sequences in zero G that felt like that, so that they were, you know, entertaining and and and and and balletic, but not elegant. And the irony is that when the astronauts who came to advise us came to set, I was very nervous because I was, you know, just making this look like such a hot mess. And they were watching very seriously, and I came to the monitor and I said, Do you buy any of that? And and and they were like, it's actually kind of what it's like. You know, they often get bumps and bruises, and they're often say it's like not really like it's depicted in in films. So we we kind of happened onto this thing that ended up feeling kind of accurate.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

So everybody in space isn't a ballet dancer, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Well, they're astronauts and they're special people, right? I mean, just all around. They're they're just unique human beings, and so they are more predisposed to be good at space, but this character is not, so this felt like an opportunity to sort of show show an audience what what that what it might look like if they were there, you know, something a little more akin to what a normal person might be like in those conditions.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Yeah, and I noticed your main man Rocky also kind of had some fumbles in space too, and I felt like that made Rocky even more endearing, too.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Yeah, I mean, yeah, he's and like I have to give full credit to James Ortiz, the puppeteer. Because, you know, he he is Rocky, and and more so than I think any of us the origin story of that is really interesting too. I I can tell you about that if you want. Or I don't know if you know about James. No, no. Jay so James was meant to just be the puppeteer, and you know, even from the audition, we we met with some of the best puppeteers in the world, and it was amazing. But there was this one Rocky puppet that they were using, and James came in at the end and he put the Rocky puppet aside and he just put his hand on the table. And he made his hand Rocky. And what he was able to do with just his hand was so mesmerizing and and and confident. He just took ownership of the character in a way that was like really a relief because, you know, I need a scene partner as well, and and and I need us to have conflict in order to have resolution, in order for us to um, you know, have this friendship feel like uh we earned it. So James started saying once he started puppeteering, like Rocky would never do that, he would never say that, Rocky would be over here. You know, he he was he had very strong feelings about what Rocky would do. And then he started reading lines for me just so that I had someone to read with. But he had such a deep connection to him that it was just very clear eventually that he was Rocky, and so now, and now he is, you know. But the irony was in the story when we're trying to find uh a voice for Rocky, we also, while filming, discovered Rocky's voice through James.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Very cool, man. So, you know, our show is Curiosity Theory, and one of the premises behind it is that as humans, we're all innately uh curious about things. And uh, I think that this movie is really cool because you know, your character, Rylan, has to invoke that curiosity to figure out where why is he here? You know, what's going on? He has to be curious about the alien, he has to be curious about how he's gonna fix things. And I'm I'm interested, what in this movie did you get curious about? Or like has your own personal curiosity been inspired in some way by you know your preparation and execution of this film?

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah, I think I'm endlessly curious about space. You know, I think the more I learn, the more fascinating it is. And uh, you know, I just wish I could retain that information. I wish I could like really understand it on the level of some of the people that I get to talk to it about. But I love being, I just like space people. I think that they're a special kind of person. I've had the opportunity to hang out with astronauts and go to NASA, and it's just like something about it. It's just I I just um I always leave feeling enlightened and and and inspired.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Yeah, I mean, you're in good company. We're space people too. I study space. This is uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

What is it company? What is it for you guys? I mean, what keeps you curious about about what you do?

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Um actually life out in the universe. Yeah, I study other planets, uh exoplanets, and I try to figure out ways to search for life, like astrobiology. And um, you know, the aliens, they never you never get to meet them, you know, one-to-one, face-to-face, like you get to in a movie. But that's one of the things that I'm interested in. It's like what other types of life are out there? And I'm endlessly curious about that.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yeah, that's uh kind of where our interests intersect, you know. Like I like to think of it more from a creative and imaginative perspective, uh kind of like the sci-fi premise. You know, we've had so many conversations about of what potential aliens could look like. And, you know, my curiosity exists at that frontier of human discovery. Like I always kind of want to know what's on the cutting edge of technology and you know what's what's most possible uh today. So that that kind of stuff just is riveting to me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Well, Ryan, man, it's great, it's been great having you. Really appreciate you coming on. Uh super excited about this movie. You know, we get people asking us about it all the time. It's been a pleasure, man.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Yeah. Anytime. This was fun. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 20:48

Thanks, man.