The actor Ryan Gosling considers a “genius”
From the neon-soaked cityscapes of Blade Runner 2049 to the tear-jerking, tragic romance of Blue Valentine, Ryan Gosling has proved beyond reasonable doubt over his 15-year career that he’s not just a Hollywood heartthrob but one of the finest actors of his generation. His turn in Shane Black’s 2016 action comedy movie, The Nice Guys, also demonstrated his comedy chops, which can be seen in full force in his recent role as Ken in Barbie.
Regarding comedy, then, it’s clear that Gosling must know a thing or two about being funny on camera. Having shared the screen with a whole host of A-listers and formidable comedy talent, the actor’s regard for fellow comedians should be taken seriously, which makes his choice of a “genius” actor all the more relevant.
Speaking to the Spanish outlet America Reads Spanish, Gosling was asked which actor’s careers he was particularly interested in. Without thinking twice, he promptly responded, “I like Eddie Murphy. He’s a genius”.
Having risen to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with the likes of Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places, Murphy saw a massive resurgence in the 2000s after playing Donkey in the animated Shrek franchise. He has, however, significantly disappeared from the limelight – although fans can expect to see him return to the screen with the Pink Panther reboot.
Probably the most famous of Murphy’s later films was the Nutty Professor series, which saw the actor don several personas in the same film. For Gosling, this was a testament to the actor’s sheer versatility and comic prowess, saying: “I mean to be able to play six characters at one time, at one table, and have them all be different from one another, and then be able to have the audience believe that they’re watching six different people at once is… To me, I don’t see how anything tops that.”
Directed by Tom Shadyac, the first Nutty Professor film was released in 1996 and featured Murphy as an incredibly anxious, shy and overweight genetic scientist. In a bid to gain confidence so that he might be able to woo the woman of his dreams, he invents a potion that will immediately transform him into a slimmer, more charming and charismatic version of himself. Initially, the experiment seems to have worked, but it quickly becomes apparent that Murphy’s character has unleashed a much nastier, uncontrollable version of himself – a sort of Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde alter ego.
Among all this, audiences were treated to ‘the Klumps’, the professor’s family, who consisted of men and women of all shapes and sizes – each played ingeniously by Murphy. Celebrating Murphy’s multiple performances, Gosling said: “I mean, any one character could top six, so I admire him for doing that.” The family would prove to be so successful that a subsequent Nutty Professor sequel, The Klumps, saw Murphy introduce two additional characters to the Klump family.
While the films, commercially successful as they were, are often derived as cheap, toilet humour-based movies, Gosling was firm in his conviction that it proved how innovative and pioneering Murphy truly was. Most may not regard those films as inspiring, but clearly, Gosling does. “I don’t think he gets a lot of credit for that,” Gosling said, “But I think it’s very brave and experimental.”
