Ryan Gosling gives The Fall Guy stuntman an award, criticises industry 'lack of recognition'

Virgin Radio

15 Mar 2024, 13:10

Ryan Gosling took to the stage on Thursday night (14th March) to celebrate the work of his The Fall Guy stuntman Logan Holladay.

While presenting Holladay with his Guinness World Record which he earned while performing a car-based stunt on set for the stunt performer focused film, Gosling took the opportunity to call out the film industry for too often ignoring the work of its amazing stuntpeople, Variety reports.

Introducing Holladay to the stage during a special screening of The Fall Guy, Gosling said: “There’s a gentleman who buckles me into a car - that’s Logan Holladay - for a stunt he’s about to do.”

Describing the record-breaking stunt in question, he continued: “Then he goes on to do eight-and-a-half cannon rolls, which is a world record. And then he pulls me out of the car and pats me on the back for the stunt that he just did.

“In any other movie, you wouldn’t know that,” Ryan criticised. “But in this movie, you do. The lack of recognition [of] the contribution that [stuntpeople] make to cinema, to some of the best moments in this film and the best moments in films in general that we love so much, you know, that ends here!”

The actor later revealed: “It took eight stunt performers to make one ‘Fall Guy’. There were times where I was like, ‘Should we be making a movie or robbing a bank?’... Everyone had their own special skill. It was like the Avengers or something. In fact, a lot of them probably were the Avengers if you look at their look at their CVs,” he joked.

Gosling, who also produced the picture, added: “It was just an honor to be a part of; I have benefited from their work and their help since I started, so to be a part of telling their story and, in some small way, trying to reflect just how vital they are and how important what they do is.”

Joining the ‘I’m Just Ken’ performer on stage for this The Fall Guy Q&A was Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt, who stars alongside Gosling in the upcoming stunt-focused feature. The pair amused viewers of the Oscars on Sunday evening (10th March) when they gave a biting Barbenheimer focused introduction to the ceremony’s appreciation of the screen industry’s stunt performers.

Many still hope however that the Academy and other awards shows will one day do more to recognise stuntpeople, such as through introducing a Stunt Performer award to better recognise this crucial and incredibly talented part of the film-making machine.

The Fall Guy will be released in UK cinemas on 2nd May 2024.