Ryan Gosling’s looks ‘tested limits’ of author Andy Weir’s heterosexuality, writer jokes
The author jokes that Gosling was even more handsome in real life
Ryan Gosling’s on-screen charm reportedly made quite an impression on Andy Weir, the author of Project Hail Mary, who jokingly admitted that the actor’s real-life appearance was even more striking than his film portrayal.
Speaking during a panel discussion at BookCon in New York City, Weir reflected on working closely with the film adaptation of his 2021 science fiction novel, which stars Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace, a science teacher turned astronaut tasked with saving Earth.
When asked whether Gosling matched his famously polished on-screen image, Weir responded with humor, saying, “I would say more. I’m straight, but we all have our limits.”
The comment drew laughter from the audience as Weir joined fellow authors, including May Cobb, Robinne Lee, and Emily St. John Mandel in a conversation about adapting novels for film and television.
Weir also shared insights into his hands-on involvement in the production of Project Hail Mary, noting that he served as a producer and remained actively engaged throughout filming and post-production.
“I was there for the whole shoot,” he said, explaining that he provided feedback on the screenplay and later on the editing process.
“I was a very active participant, and it feels good because I feel like I was one of the team that made this movie.”
The author also highlighted the collaborative and often improvisational nature of the film’s production, saying that much of the dialogue evolved on set.
“They would go off script all the time,” Weir explained, noting that Gosling and co-stars frequently improvised scenes.
He estimated that “maybe half of the movie” ultimately came from ad-libbed variations of the original script.
Weir added that witnessing the process firsthand changed his understanding of filmmaking, emphasizing the role of actors in shaping the story beyond the written page.
“The actors don’t just read the lines and perform the correct emotion,” he said. “They’re actually part of the creation of the story.”
Project Hail Mary, based on Weir’s bestselling novel, follows a lone astronaut on a mission to prevent a global catastrophe and marks another high-profile adaptation of the author’s work following The Martian.