When it comes to making major motion pictures, nothing is ever set in stone. Just ask Saoirse Ronan, the acclaimed actress at the center of a dramatic casting change during the 2009 supernatural drama The Lovely Bones production.
In a recent appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Ronan took a trip down memory lane, recalling the day when her co-star, Ryan Gosling, was unexpectedly fired from the film just days before shooting was set to begin. Gosling, who had been cast as Ronan’s on-screen father, was abruptly dismissed by director Peter Jackson due to a decision that puzzled even Ronan.
“Ryan was like 27. He was young,” Ronan explained, noting that the director had concerns about Gosling’s physical appearance for the role. “Ryan was able to step in, and he was a father. He was a father to, like, I don’t know, three kids? He probably had an experience of that, and Ryan felt he didn’t.”
It turns out that Gosling, in a bid to fully embody the character, had decided to gain a staggering 60 pounds and grow a thick beard. While his dedication to the role was admirable, Jackson ultimately felt that the actor’s physical transformation didn’t fit the part.
“With the role of Jack suddenly (and desperately) available, Jackson sought someone else who could portray the role authentically,” Ronan recounted. “Mark Wahlberg (Pain & Gain, The Departed) stepped in and did a pretty good job, even if he didn’t have enough time to prepare.”
For Ronan, who had already bonded with Gosling during the early stages of production, the dismissal was a bittersweet experience. “I think I just loved Ryan and his dog, George, and I was just sad that, you know, he wasn’t gonna be around,” she admitted.
However, Ronan quickly emphasized that there were no hard feelings between the parties involved. “But I think the reasons why they parted were valid, and I’ve spoken to both [Gosling and Jackson] now, and it happens. Do you know what I mean? It’s not personal, necessarily. It’s like sometimes you’re just not on the same page.”
Gosling addressed the incident in a 2010 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that his firing was due to a disconnect between his vision for the character and Jackson’s.
“We had a different idea of how the character should look. I believed he should be 210 pounds. We didn’t talk much during the preproduction process, which was the problem,” Gosling explained. “It was a huge movie, and there’s so many things to deal with, and he couldn’t deal with the actors individually. I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed.”
While the sudden casting change may have thrown a wrench in the production, Ronan’s recollection of the events suggests that there were no hard feelings on set. The young actress even had the chance to reunite with Gosling a few years later when he cast her in his directorial debut, “Lost River.”
As for “The Lovely Bones” itself, the film, based on Alice Sebold’s novel of the same name, ultimately received mixed reviews from critics. While Stanley Tucci’s chilling performance as the serial killer George Harvey earned him an Oscar nomination, the movie failed to capture the same critical acclaim as director Peter Jackson’s previous work, the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Nonetheless, Ronan’s reflections on the behind-the-scenes drama offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of Hollywood, where even the best-laid plans can be derailed by unexpected circumstances. And in the end, it’s clear that the young actress harbors no ill will towards Gosling or the director, understanding that sometimes, “it’s not personal, necessarily.”
As Ronan continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the film industry, this experience undoubtedly serves as a reminder that in moviemaking, flexibility and resilience are just as important as raw talent. And for fans of both Ronan and Gosling, the knowledge that they’ve since had the opportunity to collaborate on another project only adds to the intrigue of this captivating story.