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RYAN GOSLING on 'FRACTURE'
Contributed by Michael J. Lee, Executive Editor
for Radio Free Entertainment
April 1, 2007
In the crime thriller Fracture, a seemingly simple case of a man named Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) who confesses to murdering his wife takes devious twists and turns after young, hotshot prosecutor Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) becomes embroiled in the circumstances leading up to the homicide. Together, the two become entangled in a cat-and-mouse mindgame, with Beachum obsessing over a conviction and Crawford trumping him at every turn with legal loopholes and technicalities.
In this interview, Ryan Gosling talks about the making of the film and working with Anthony Hopkins.
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The Interview
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MEDIA: Your character is frequently snacking throughout the film. Was that your idea or the director's?
RYAN: No, it just it was, you know, one of those things where it was a guy that never slept obviously because he was working two jobs and couldn't really be sleeping, and so we just kind of made him this sugar-freak, you know-he was always eating Jelly Bellies...every day I would show up on set and I had a huge bag of Jelly Bellies and I'd try and make it through.
How would you characterize your chemistry with Anthony Hopkins?
Well, I think the thing is...what it is really, I think, is that I'm enjoying everything he's doing so much that I'm trying to get over the fact that I'm in scenes with Anthony Hopkins. And every time he does something I'm like [stares out wide-eyed]...I just want to watch him and I have to remember that I'm in a scene too and I have to play the character and be serious. And like my character doesn't enjoy him at all. And it was really tricky to enjoy him as much as I was and try and pretend like I'm not.
Did you as much freedom to develop this character as you did for your role in Half Nelson?
I think the two totally...you obviously can't spend as much time on those things because it's a plot-driven movie, it's a thriller it's not about...a movie like Half Nelson is about those shades of grey you know, and you have a whole movie to explore those...a movie like this it's very different and requires a totally different technique and acting style, something I'd never done before. And for me, it's what makes this job fun, you know is that I can go from something like Half Nelson--like a $500,000 movie you know about nothing, and explore that. And to go to this movie, which is a much bigger movie and it's just completely plot-driven, you know. And then I went and did another film after that called Lars and the Real Girl, which is like this Hal Ashby type movie about a guy who falls in love with a sex doll, you know. For me it's what keeps it interesting.
What were you surprised to learn about Anthony Hopkins?
Well, you know I think I thought what everyone would probably think, you know, he's going to be this really intense guy, Sir Anthony Hopkins and all of that but, he's so funny. And he doesn't take this seriously at all.
We heard he was barking on set...
He barks...he barks...like a dog and it sounds exactly like a dog. I mean everything he does he does so good that you can almost tell the breed (room laughs). He's constantly moving. He's so inspiring to watch. He's either painting or he's writing or he's directing or he's composing-he never stops. He'll be doodling when he talks to you and it's the greatest doodle you've ever seen. And then he'll get five minutes off and he'll go to his trailer and he'll paint a painting and he'll come back with paint all over his hands. He'll come back and sit through the scene. He just never stops. And he's a fascinating guy to watch, I think maybe more in answer to your question-I learned how to make a movie by watching him because, so many actors they come on set and they think, 'this is my journey, my character's journey and so you're all here to facilitate that' -and movies are set up that way. They really like-they don't help-actors become these notorious characters because movies support that. And they've got everyone getting you things and asking you what you need and how can I help you and everything you want and get out of my eye-line, and all that stuff. And Anthony makes you-he's totally the opposite. He makes you feel like this is your movie too, it doesn't matter what you do on the film, it's a collaboration, we're all here together, it's totally inclusive-he talks to everybody he wants to do it. He isn't precious with is process, he like gives it to you and leaves it on the table and anyone can pick it up whenever they want and try and figure it out. I did. I was trying to take it apart and try and figure out why he's so great-I couldn't. I never worked it out.
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He also seems like a bit of a prankster. Did he pull any stunts on you besides the barking?
He's just always...he's always up to something. Did he tell you that story on Elephant Man? When he was so...he thought it was so pretentious-black and white and the thing about the Elephant Man that was so important and sad and he was just like eh. So he started meowing like a cat. And he's doing like this [makes a murmur face] so you can't see him doing it. And for an hour he had everyone looking for the cat on set. He's doing through takes, he's got PA's on roofs-they're looking for the cat. And, finally, David Lynch looks at him and he sees it and Anthony can't stop laughing because he's loving it and David Lynch is like 'you son of a bitch...'
The director talked about how your input helped shaped the final product. Do you have aspirations to write?
Um, yeah, I think...you know as far as this script was concerned, I was happy to be able to have access to that. Sometimes it's really not your job you know, but I think Greg (Hoblit) and Glen [Gers] were really open and allowed us to have a say and put ourselves into it which I was really appreciative of.
Was there a line or plot point that really impressed you when you read the script?
I liked the character. Willie's a character that, most movies like this, in this genre, they're like really virtuous guys, like natural heroes waiting to come out. And this guy's not. He's not good. He's not a good guy, and he never really is. He's the good guy in the movie because he's better than Anthony's character but he's not really that good, and he's not bad, and he's ok with that. As long as he's not a bad guy he can live with it. And he's just naturally kind of a narcissistic, self-obsessed, selfish guy with tons of ambition. And he's kind of put in a situation in this movie where if he lets a woman die for a promotion, he's going to officially be a guy he doesn't want to be. So he reluctantly does the right thing. In the whole film doing the right thing is kind of a pain in the ass for him, and he never makes some kind of huge moral shift, he just reluctantly walks that line, and I thought that that was probably more realistic.
We heard this character's wardrobe actually came from real life thrift shops. How did that come about?
Oh yeah because the character is broke but he's got to blend in with people with money. So we thought it might be an interesting idea that he would go to thrift stores and buy suits for like $20, vintage suits for $20, get them tailored for $50 Downtown, and that he would put out $100 but he would have this suit that looks good and he could pass off as being a fashion statement as opposed to being able to try defend why he can't afford Armani suits.
He doesn't seem concerned about those things. Is his confidence something you liked about the character?
Yeah, it was a false confidence, this bravado you know that kind of like you know that kind of like obnoxious I never feel uncomfortable kind of attitude you know just like overcompensating.
Did you have input on your character's living situation?
Yeah, I think it was a group decision but it was all trying to find a guy who was trying to assimilate in world he couldn't afford you know and how many ways can you do that, you know so I think the car and all these choices to go classic, in his mind what he would say is classic, or old school, you know it was really just like the cheap way of defending what he can't afford. So yeah we tried to make those decisions in all of those aspects.
What has changed most for you after your Oscar nomination?
I get asked that question a lot-that's what's changed.
Lots of gift bags?
Yeah but it's all girls stuff in it. There's nothing for us.
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