Ryan Gosling’s emotional link with co-star stuns fans

Ryan Gosling has revealed an unexpected co-star who made his latest sci-fi epic far more real.

The 45-year-old actor ditched acting opposite thin air while filming Project Hail Mary, instead sharing the screen with a lifelike alien creation operated by puppeteer James Ortiz.

In a move that’s got fans buzzing, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller chose practical effects over heavy CGI, and it paid off.

James, 42, was on set for most of the six-month shoot, bringing the spider-like alien “Rocky” to life right in front of Ryan’s eyes. 

And according to the Broadway star, it made all the difference.

“Actor to actor, I didn’t want Ryan to ever feel like he was alone,” James shared, insisting the emotional connection wouldn’t have worked the same with a digital placeholder.

Before filming scenes, the pair would rehearse face-to-face, locking into each other’s rhythm before layering in the puppet performance.

Notably, a process that added a surprisingly human touch to the alien bond.

Rocky, who communicates through whale-like sounds, becomes a crucial ally to Barbie star’s character, a humble school teacher tasked with saving Earth from disaster. 

Despite lacking a face, the creature’s personality shines through, thanks to clever design work led by Neil Scanlan.

Behind the scenes, the production team even redesigned sets to accommodate puppeteers, raising platforms and adding hidden access points to keep the magic seamless.

Of course, not everything could be done by hand. 

For trickier moments, like Rocky rolling through spacecraft, visual effects wizards at Framestore stepped in.

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