The song that sparked Ryan Gosling’s ‘Drive’ into life
Since finding his place in Hollywood as a leading man in the 2000s, Ryan Gosling has well and truly done it all. From cult indie movies to expansive sci-fi sequels to ‘I’m Just Ken’, the Canadian actor has demonstrated his cross-genre capability and carved out a place as one of the most widely loved actors of his generation.
In between endearing himself to the masses with The Notebook and La La Land, Gosling has also found his way into the hearts of cult cinema fans with quirkier ventures like Lars and the Real Girl and, perhaps most notably, Drive. Over a decade on from its first release, the Nicolas Winding Refn film remains a staple in the favourites of so-called film bros and Letterboxd users.
Drive may have been fronted by Gosling and Carey Mulligan, but it was, undeniably, Refn’s baby. The film contained all of his most distinctive filmmaking elements, blending unflinching violence and high-contrast cinematography with a sleek soundtrack (and a now-iconic golden scorpion bomber jacket).
Although the final film was infused with Refn’s style and even won him ‘Best Director’ at Cannes, Gosling initially struggled to get the director on board with the project. A huge fan of his work, Gosling desperately wanted to get Refn on board, but their initial meeting to discuss the project didn’t go quite as planned.
“He didn’t look at me,” the lead actor recalled during a conversation on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, “He wouldn’t talk to me. He just kind of stared off into the distance. It was like a bad date.” Disappointed with the direction the meeting had took, Gosling resolved to leave, prompting Refn to ask him for a ride home.
Gosling was flabbergasted: “I said, ‘How you gonna make a movie called drive if you can’t even drive?” Nonetheless, he complied, and the two sat in silence as he drove to Santa Monica. To quell the awkwardness, the future Barbie star flicked the radio on to the sound of ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ by REO Speedwagon.
In stark contrast to their underwhelming chat, Gosling looked over to see the director “bawling his eyes out, looking out the window.” Moved by the 1984 soft rock hit, Refn began to sing “at the top of his lungs,” before turning to Gosling to state, “This is it. This is the movie. It’s about a guy who rides around Los Angeles at night listening to pop music.”
That wasn’t quite the movie – there would be far more violence in the finalised cut than Refn’s picturesque summary implied, though his focus on music would remain. A decade later, Gosling has REO Speedwagon to thank for one of his most beloved performances.
