When Ryan Gosling Felt Lonely on “Project Hail Mary”, Directors Created 'Moppy Ringwald' to Keep Him Company (Exclusive)
When Ryan Gosling Felt Lonely on “Project Hail Mary”, Directors Created 'Moppy Ringwald' to Keep Him Company (Exclusive)
Jack SmartThu, March 19, 2026 at 2:59 PM UTC
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Ryan Gosling in 'Project Hail Mary'Credit: Alamy -
Project Hail Mary, in theaters March 20, stars Ryan Gosling as a scientist largely alone in outer space
“To be alone for so much of it was new,” the actor tells PEOPLE exclusively
One day on set, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller constructed a costar for Gosling: a dressed-up mop they named Moppy Ringwald, who ended up in the film
Ryan Gosling faced one of the trickiest challenges an actor can face filming his new movie: loneliness.
In Project Hail Mary (in theaters Friday), Gosling, 45, plays scientist-turned-astronaut Dr. Ryland Grace, who’s on a world-saving mission in deep space. Even when the character joins forces later with an alien pal, the producer-star had no costar, as the alien was a rock-like creature operated by puppets.
“I'm used to having a costar and I really enjoy that dynamic. So to be alone for so much of it was new,” the Oscar nominee tells PEOPLE.
Luckily he had two trusty collaborators with him in space: Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
(Left-right:) Phil Lord, Ryan Gosling and Christopher Miller on March 11Credit: Marc Piasecki/WireImage
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“I wasn't ever totally alone because I also had Chris and Phil,” says Gosling with a smile. “There was one time where I felt I had been alone for like 100 days or something and I was like, ‘I need someone to talk to. I need a scene partner.’ And they were like, ‘Got it.’”
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Lord and Miller’s solution? “They went and made a mop into a person,” Gosling recalls.
Ryan Gosling in 'Project Hail Mary'Credit: Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios
“They put glasses and a dress and they called her Moppy Ringwald,” he adds of the improvised costar — whose appearance actually made the film's final cut. “I spent that day dancing and singing and crying with her and it made the film,” explains Gosling.
“This is the beauty of working with Chris and Phil: they will put their plans for the day aside and go and make you a mop friend if you need one,” the Barbie star says.
In fact, the directors’ “organic and spontaneous” approach to problem-solving mirrored how Dr. Grace and his extraterrestrial friend Rocky “are always experimenting and leading with curiosity. So we just were following the lead of that.”
Gosling’s moment with his Molly Ringwald-inspired partner, he clarifies, is “just a tiny piece of the film. It's not a whole film about a guy in a mop, I promise. If you blink, you'll miss it.”
Project Hail Mary, adapted by Drew Goddard from Andy Weir's hit novel of the same name, costars Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz and Lionel Boyce. It’s in theaters as of Friday, March 20.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
