Ryan Gosling didn't have to imagine how he'd interact with a friendly alien; instead, his daughters, Esmeralda, 11, and Amada, 9, were right there to help him set the scene. In fact, the "Project Hail Mary" star admitted that his kids—whom he shares with wife Eva Mendes—would occasionally portray the upcoming space movie's main extraterrestrial character to help him float through the scenes.
"I had an earpiece in my ear and they would talk for Rocky, so I could talk to them as Rocky," Ryan, 45, told People in an interview published on March 3. "There are some moments in the movie where I'm laughing or I'm just so charmed by him, but it's actually my kids talking to me and helping me out."
Despite their assistance, their names may not appear in "Project Hail Mary's" end credits. After all, Rocky—who meets Ryan's character Ryland, a science teacher sent into outer space to save mankind—is voiced by James Ortiz in the actual film, which will release on March 20.
But that wasn't the end of Esmeralda and Amada's involvement in the movie. In terms of fashion, they also helped Ryan feel comfortable in his academia-inspired outfits—all the way down to the small accessories. "When I was trying on stuff, my daughter came by and was like, 'You look smart in glasses,'" he recalled in the interview. "I was like, 'I need to look smart in this, so I will thank you for that.'"
And while his little one is a fan of his transformation, the "Barbie" alum noted they offered more detailed criticism when talking about the movie's script. "My kids have seen multiple cuts. They give me multiple notes," he told Access Hollywood last month. "They're basically the only critics I care about, and they are very critical and very honest."
Indeed, Ryan is taking his daughters' suggestions into consideration, as he admitted he took on this sci-fi role just for them. "As a family, I'd like a movie like this that I'd like to see," he explained. "I just feel really honored that I got to make one."
True to his daughters' honest reactions to "Project Hail Mary," Esmeralda and Amada certainly didn't hold back when they watched their mom's performance in the 2005 film "Hitch." But Eva wasn't prepared for their thoughts. "I had to do this physical comedy stunt thing in the Hudson," the 51-year-old recalled on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2024, referring to her iconic jet ski scene with Will Smith. "Anyway, I was so scared. I faced a fear that day and I was proud of it. I played it for them, and they were not impressed at all!"
