During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast last week, Ryan Gosling revealed that he was a huge Days of Our Lives fan while growing up. Watching Days was such a formative moment for Ryan that the possession storyline from Deidre Hall’s character, Marlena, inspired his future as an actor. When Deidre found out about Ryan’s praise, she invited him to the set. In turn, Ryan happily accepted Deidre’s invitation. He also declared that he found her acting more inspirational than Marlon Brando’s or Robert DeNiro’s.
Over the weekend, the Project Hail Mary star accepted an “open invitation” from star Deidre Hall to visit the set of the long-running NBC sudser, after the former had shouted her out during an appearance on Josh Horowitz‘s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
During the interview, Gosling had noted: “Soap opera actors in general — they do not get the love they deserve. [They have to] memorize, the night before, like 10 pages of dialogue. They get one take, and it’s impossible scenarios — like when Marlena, Deidre Hall, gets possessed … by the Devil. Deidre Hall has to suddenly, after playing a normal person [be possessed] … What’s amazing is I remember thinking, like, ‘God, Deidre Hall’s a great actress ’cause she’s having to act possessed right now. That just seems like a lot to ask of her.’”
In response, Hall had posted a video on Instagram where she said, “We’re just thrilled to be acknowledged and to be so well spoken of because we work really hard, as you acknowledged,” extending an invite to “come over and see what we do in our neck of the woods.” She promised cheekily: “Nobody will be possessed. And if they are, I’ll keep an eye on you.”
It’s a resounding “yes” from Gosling, who responded, “Deidre Hall, are you kidding me? Yes. This is a very enthusiastic yes to a very cordial invitation to visit you on set. I will be there to thank you in person for being my OG acting inspiration. It wasn’t Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. It wasn’t [Robert] De Niro in Taxi Driver. It was you.”
He added, “Any time, anywhere, I’ll be there.” In a wink to his current project in theaters, the Barbie star said, “I’m not worried about the possession, I’ll say a Hail Mary before I get there. It’ll be fine and I’ll see you on set.”
Venerated in the soap world, Hall has portrayed psychiatrist Marlena Evans on Days of our Lives since 1976, with brief absences from 1987 to 1991 and again from 2009 to 2011. Her storyline has featured some of the most outrageous occurrences in soap opera history, including two demonic possessions (in 1994 and later, 2021), surviving a fall from a 30-story building and being brainwashed into believing she is a serial killer.
This is the wholesome potential collaboration that weneed right now. I love this so much. Soap opera actors rarely get the credit that they deserve, but so many actors have cut their teeth on soaps. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michael B. Jordan both started out on All My Children. I grew up watching General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Port Charles, and I get so excited whenever I see any of those actors appear in shows outside that bubble.
Ryan Gosling potentially doing a guest gig on Days of Our Lives is the storyline that I did not know I needed. There is a catch here, though. Days reportedly shoots so far in advance, about 6 months, that if Ryan did a cameo, it would not air until late 202. If NBC/Peacock wanted to maximize on the current publicity, they’d have to either write/edit him into a current storyline or arrange for the two of them to do some sort of press event together. That said, I would love for them to figure out how to quickly write Ryan into a cameo for an upcoming scene. I have no idea how they could do it, but I hope they’ll willingly meet the moment.
photos credit: Cover Images, Backgrid and Avalon.red
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