8. Gosling had a bit of a method.
Throughout the film, Gosling hid his baby blues and wore brown contact lenses, as James Garner, the famous actor who played the elderly Noah, had brown eyes. While Mr. Gosling was very concerned about continuity, Mr. Garner, who passed away in July 2014, was not at all concerned. According to Cassavetes, Gosling also approached the older actor about his accent, leading to some hilariously awkward dialogue.
“(Ryan) said, “I was thinking about accents. There are different kinds of South Carolina accents, more country, this, and so on.”(Garner) said, “I don’t do accents, you idiot.” “Yeah,” Cassavetes said, “and[Ryan]says, ‘Okay, what color do you want your eyes to be? I have blue eyes. You have brown eyes.'” He said, “Everyone knows Jim Garner has brown eyes.” Do what you want, kid.[Ryan]says, “Okay, I’m going to wear contacts.” What do you do with your hair? ” And he says, “Do whatever you want, kid.” nice to meet you. Let’s meet again. Ryan looked at me and said, “Shut up and don’t say anything.” This is just one example of two very different types of acting styles. Both have been hugely successful. ”
Another example of Gosling’s method acting going a little too far was his suggestion to burn down Noah’s house as a metaphor for his emotions. “He comes to me and says, ‘Why don’t we burn down the house?'” Cassavetes revealed. “I say, ‘Because I don’t even know what that means.’” And he said, “Purify my fire! ”
Gosling’s idea did not make the final cut.
