Sometimes, we as viewers forget that the entertainment industry is, at its core, a job. So, like any job, there are just some people who don’t fit the role and their talents are best suited elsewhere for the time being. Actress Saoirse Ronan recently reflected on that as she spoke about the production of The Lovely Bones and Ryan Gosling leaving the cast during the early stages of the movie’s production.
Originally, in The Lovely Bones, Jack Salmon was set to be played by Ryan Gosling. However, on the day filming was set to start he was fired, and the character ended up being played by Mark Wahlberg. So, in an interview on Happy Sad Confused, Josh Horowitz asked Saoirse Ronan about her feelings regarding her almost co-star being fired. He also asked if she was worried about being fired too after this happened. In response, the Little Women star said:
I didn’t think of it like that. I think I just loved Ryan, and his dog, George. And was just sad that he wasn't gonna be around. But I think the reasons why they parted were totally valid. And I’ve spoken to both now, and I completely — it happens, you know what I mean? It's not personal, necessarily. It's just sometimes you're not on the same page.
It's not unheard of for actors to be recast last minute, it's just a part of the industry. However, Ronan didn’t see this particular casting shake-up as something to be scared of.
She also explained why this Lovely Bones change happened in the first place, noting that Gosling was a bit too young for the part. Speaking about Mark Wahlberg taking over for him, she said:
And it meant that, you know, Mark [Wahlberg] was able to step in, and he was a father. He was a father to, like, I don't know, three kids? He probably had an experience of that that Ryan felt he didn't. Ryan was like 27. He was young. It was great then to work with [Ryan] later. And, again, he's just, like, the same. He doesn't change.
Ronan did go on to share that she does feel fear every so often of being fired from a role, as it’s natural with any job. However, she reiterated that it is just a part of life and it happens.
In past interviews, Gosling has spoken about what happened with The Lovely Bones. The Barbie actor specifically said he felt insecure about playing Jack Salmon because of his age. So, he tried to rectify that by putting on extra weight and growing a beard, which ultimately did not work. But of course, we all know Gosling's movies prove that he is more than Kenough, and this small blip in his career didn't negatively impact him in the long run.
In the end, The Lovely Bones had mixed reactions, in part because it was a departure from Jackson's previous work on The Lord of the Rings. Though the performances from Ronan, Wahlberg, and Stanley Tucci are seen to be some of the shining parts of the film. In fact, it's one of Tucci's best performances, as his turn as George Harvey earned him an Academy Award nomination. However, all this does make me wonder what could have been if Gosling wasn’t removed.
If you’re looking to see Ronan in The Lovely Bones, it is available with a Max subscription or an Amazon Prime subscription.
