Russell Crowe, known for his unwavering dedication to staying in character, recently revealed that his “Nice Guys” co-star, Ryan Gosling, is the one person who can consistently make him break character. In a candid interview with GQ, Crowe shared his experiences working with Gosling on the 2016 film “The Nice Guys.”
“Trying to work with that kid,” Crowe said, “I’m famous for not breaking character no matter what. Ridley [Scott] used to laugh about it. The Colosseum could be collapsing behind me, and I’d still be doing my stuff. There’s a thing in acting called corpsing – laughing inappropriately. That little [expletive] gets me every time.”
“The Nice Guys” features Crowe as Jackson Healy, a hired enforcer, and Gosling as Holland March, a private investigator. The duo teams up to solve the case of a missing girl and the unrelated death of a porn star. The film’s comedic chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is undeniable, making it easy to see why Crowe found it challenging to keep a straight face on set.
Crowe has previously praised Gosling’s comedic talents. In a 2020 interview with Business Insider, Crowe mentioned, “Ryan Gosling can make me laugh in a heartbeat. Whatever characters I’m trying to do, he can just, like a laser, pump through it and just [tickling gesture], and just sends me off!”
The 60-year-old actor has had a busy year, appearing in five films, including “The Exorcism,” “Sleeping Dogs,” and Sony’s upcoming “Kraven the Hunter.” He also spent the winter in Budapest filming the historical drama “Nuremberg,” set to release in 2025.
Crowe’s inability to keep a straight face around Gosling is a testament to their on-screen chemistry. “I loved making that movie,” Crowe told GQ. “Ryan Gosling, Jesus Christ. Trying to work with that kid. There’s a thing in acting called corpsing – laughing inappropriately. That little [expletive] gets me every time.”
Crowe’s reputation for being serious on set, especially after winning an Oscar for “Gladiator,” made his experience on “The Nice Guys” all the more unique. Gosling’s ability to tap into a different side of Crowe added a special dynamic to their collaboration.
Director Shane Black revealed that Crowe joined the film only after Gosling was signed. “My friend Anthony Bagarozzi and I concocted the script in 2001 that was set in the present day, and it went nowhere. We tried it again as a TV show for CBS in 2006, and that went nowhere as well,” Black told IndieWire in 2016. “Finally, in 2014, we put it out one last time, and Ryan Gosling looked at it, and his agent said, ‘This is the sort of thing Ryan’s looking for.’ Within three days, Russell Crowe said, ‘I like it, and if Ryan’s doing it, I’ll do it.’ After thirteen years, it just popped into place in three days.”
Despite rumors of a “Nice Guys” sequel, Gosling explained that the film’s box office performance against “The Angry Birds Movie” hindered any follow-up plans. “So much of a sequel, I think, is decided by the opening weekend of a movie, and we opened up against ‘Angry Birds,'” Gosling told Comic Book. “So ‘Angry Birds’ just destroyed us. ‘Angry Birds’ got a sequel.”
“The Angry Birds Movie” grossed over three times the opening weekend box office of “The Nice Guys,” with $38 million compared to $11.2 million. As a result, “The Angry Birds Movie” received a sequel in 2019, while “The Nice Guys” did not.
Russell Crowe’s experience working with Ryan Gosling on “The Nice Guys” highlights the unique chemistry between the two actors. Despite Crowe’s reputation for never breaking character, Gosling’s comedic talents managed to make him crack. Fans of the film continue to hope for a sequel, but for now, the original remains a testament to their unforgettable collaboration.
