Ryan Gosling's character in "Project Hail Mary" embodies a unique touch, inspired by his own daughters, Amada and Esmeralda. In a heartwarming chat with USA Today, the 45-year-old actor revealed that his girls, aged 9 and 11 respectively, have been avid viewers of various cuts of his latest sci-fi film, offering insightful suggestions on how it could be further refined. Their critical eye has proven to be invaluable, as the actor admitted, "They're the harshest critics, but they are always right, for the most part, and they've really been so helpful."
One particularly memorable instance stands out: when Gosling experimented with his character by donning a pair of glasses, his daughter promptly commented, "You look smarter with glasses." He recalled, "I was like, 'Well, thank you very much. I think I will be wearing these in the film. Thank you for that note.'"
In another part of the interview, the devoted father shared his and longtime partner Eva Mendes's desire to create films that their children can enjoy together, fostering cherished family memories. However, finding such films has proven to be a challenge. "I felt like, okay, well, we might just have to make it," he said.
At the New York premiere of the film on Wednesday, March 18th, Gosling spoke exclusively with PEOPLE about how the decision his character Ryland has to make in the film becomes "easy" when considering children. He acknowledged that this was a "different" dynamic for his character, who lacks any offspring. "I think once you have kids, it's like those [decisions] are easy. It's an easy call to make," he explained. "But for this character, it's much more of an existential crisis because he doesn't have that. And he doesn't believe in himself very much anyway. I think that's what makes his journey relatable. He has to learn to believe in himself and is put into a situation that forces him to discover what's within him that he didn't know was there."
Gosling previously shared with PEOPLE that filming specific scenes was challenging, especially since his alien co-star was not always present. Thankfully, his two daughters were more than happy to lend a helping hand. "Sometimes when I was working and I needed to switch things up, my kids would come in and I had an earpiece in my ear so they could talk for Rocky," he told PEOPLE. "There are moments in the movie where I'm laughing or charmed by him, which is actually my kids talking to me and helping me out."
Despite sharing glimpses of their lives, Gosling and Mendes remain tight-lipped about their daughters' daily lives. In 2020, Mendes expressed her reason for refraining from sharing pictures of their daily routine on social media. "I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids," she wrote on Instagram. "Since my children are still so little and don't understand what posting their image really means, I don't have their consent. And I won't post their image until they're old enough to give me consent."
