Ryan Gosling, the three-time Oscar-nominated actor, accepted an invitation to visit the set of The days of our lives after a candid exchange with the show’s legendary star, Deidre Hall, which captured Hollywood’s attention this week.
It all started when Gosling, appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast while promoting Hail Mary Projectspoke warmly about her childhood watching the long-running soap and highlighted Hall’s portrayal of Marlena Evans as formative viewing.
He was particularly impressed by the show’s possession storyline and used the opportunity to make a broader point about the underestimation of the soap’s actors.
“They don’t get the love they deserve,” he said.
“The amount they have to memorize the night before, like 10 pages of dialogue. They only have one take, and they’re impossible scenarios.”
Watching Hall go from playing an ordinary person to someone “possessed by the devil,” he added, was “an incredible acting class.”
Hall, who has played Marlena since 1976, responded with a video message thanking Gosling and inviting him to come see the filming for himself.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized and talked about so well,” she said, sharing that the cast watched Gosling’s comments together backstage.
Response from Gosling, posted to Eva Mendes and Hail Mary ProjectInstagram accounts leave no room for ambiguity.
“It’s a very enthusiastic yes to a very cordial invitation,” he said.
“I’ll be there to thank you in person…It wasn’t Marlon Brando. It wasn’t De Niro. It was you.” He also called Hall his “OG acting inspiration,” a line that, considering the company it puts her in, is quite a tribute.
Hail Mary Project is currently in theaters, with new episodes of Days of Our Lives streaming on Peacock.
