Here’s a La La Land moment that still haunts Ryan Gosling ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Despite earning an Oscar nod and being part of one of the most celebrated modern musicals, Ryan Gosling admitted a single frame continues to haunt him. And yes, it’s all about the hand placement.
Speaking to WSJ Magazine, Gosling opened up about a particular dance sequence with Emma Stone that became the La La Land poster. While choreographed magic was happening, Gosling made an impromptu decision to strike what he thought was a more relaxed pose. “We were supposed to have our hands up,” he explained. “I thought it’d be cool to put my hand like that [flat angle]. Even though everyone told me it wasn’t cool, I was sure it was.” Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
Years later, the actor can’t help but see the missed opportunity every time he glimpses that poster. “Now, what would have been cooler when I look at it? That,” he quipped, referencing the original direction to point upward. And the cringe doesn’t stop there. “It just killed the energy that way,” he confessed. “I call it La La Hand. I thought it would help in La La Lan and then hamburger-hands Gosling over here. It didn’t help me at all in the end.”
Despite his hand regret, La La Land was a runaway success. The Damien Chazelle-directed film tied the record for the most Oscar nominations—14—and won six, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. Gosling lost the Best Actor race to Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea, but La La Land left its mark as a cinematic love letter to Hollywood.
Gosling, however, isn’t dwelling too long on the “hamburger hands” debacle. The Barbie breakout star is gearing up for his next big-screen adventure in The Fall Guy, where he plays a retired stunt performer on a mission to rescue his ex-girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) blockbuster star. The film hit theaters on May 3, promising a blend of action and humor with Gosling at the wheel.
Even with that one “lazy” hand move, Gosling’s legacy in La La Land remains intact. After all, who else can turn a minor flub into a charmingly self-deprecating story? For the rest of us, it’s another reason to adore Ryan—and, maybe, avoid striking a La La Hand during our next dance party.
