Emma Stone might be the most relatable actor on the silver screen, but never more so than in 2011, when she uttered the words we were all thinking after seeing Ryan Gosling with his shirt off:
The line easily became the most memorable scene in Crazy, Stupid, Love, as RyGos became a meme many times over — and renowned for his physique. Now, six years after their on-screen debut together, the duo's reunited, co-starring in La La Land, a love story about a jazz pianist who falls for an actress. And once again, we're wondering: Has this guy been Photoshopped?!
For the movie's ads and posters, maybe. But in real life, it took plenty of training — and a level of discipline as intense as RyGos's brooding in Drive — to get where he is today. All presented in Gosling's most famous meme, because life is short and memes make the internet go round.
Hey Girl, Want To Go To Pilates?
Gosling took dance and piano lessons to prepare for his role in La La Land, but the true secret to his smooth moves involved taking a page from Kate Hudson and getting his Pilates on. "Once I had tired him out with squats and pull-ups, we brought in the Pilates table," trainer Arin Babaian told Men's Journal. "That helped us really improve his spine stability and postural strength."
Hey Girl, Want To Do That 'Dirty Dancing' Lift Again?
Babaian really focused on strengthening Gosling's legs, core, and back, so he'd have more control over each dance step. They also used dumbbells and Olympic bars to practice for the scenes where the actor would be lifting Stone over his head. (Though this isn't the first time this happened, we can imagine Stone was pretty relieved he'd gotten back into practice before picking her up again.)
Hey Girl, Want Some Twizzlers?
Keeping your energy up while acting and dancing is crucial — not just so you don't slump through every routine, but so that your co-stars don't have to see you when you're hangry. Gosling must have known that, because he kept licorice on him pretty much at all times while filming.
"Ryan can eat more Twizzlers than anyone you've ever met," Stone told Vanity Fair. "He would keep it in his coat pocket and just, you know, hand out Twizzlers and eat Twizzlers himself."
Twizzlers aren't his only vice. In a 2011 interview with Esquire, Gosling hit up 7-Eleven, stocking up on green apple and grape Hi-Chews, Nerds Ropes, Kazoozles and Haribos.
"Sugar till you die," he told the reporter.
Hey Girl, Want To Work It Out?
Gosling's La La Land gym sessions involved a 5-minute warm-up with a foam roller, then a two-part circuit training session, doing five rounds of the first circuit and three of the second, before hitting up Pilates. The first circuit featured a mix of running, deadlifts, presses and squats, while the second involved hanging leg raises and sit ups. You can get the exact workout here.
It may not make you a meme, but it could get you abs worthy of Photoshop rumors.
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