Things have finally gone his way for our beloved Ken, who has recently just ticked off a bucket list item. Ever since he was a child, Ryan Gosling has dreamt of scaling the Warner Bros. water tower, a structure made famous by the ’90s cartoon Animaniacs. This dream was turned into reality courtesy of Variety, a surprising gesture that was very much appreciated by the performer, as it fulfilled his childhood visions of movie-making magic.
“When I was 16 and moved to Los Angeles and was auditioning at Warner Bros., they wouldn’t have let me climb the water tower. Ten years ago, when I shot ‘La La Land’ here, they wouldn’t have let me climb the tower. For whatever reason, right now, at this stage in my life and career, they’re letting me climb the water tower. So climb it while you can, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to climb it tomorrow,” Ryan Gosling shared his story an interview with Variety.
“And I think it planted some seed in my head. That’s what making movies was like: The lot was just your home, and you wander in and out of Western sets, and you can hang out in the water tower,” he added.
Ryan Gosling: “When I was 16 and moved to Los Angeles and was auditioning at Warner Bros., they wouldn’t have let me climb the water tower. Ten years ago, when I shot ‘La La Land’ here, they wouldn’t have let me climb the tower. For whatever reason, right now, at this stage in my… pic.twitter.com/WB9RbjA0n4
— Variety (@Variety) February 7, 2024
Well, our Ken was in luck that day. In a unique twist for its cover story, Variety assisted Gosling in achieving what he described as doing “something unprecedented in recent years” — climbing the tower. With help from a cherry picker and stuntman Chris O’Hara, who collaborated with Gosling on The Fall Guy, this longtime aspiration was fulfilled in the most spectacular way.
While he was excited with the idea at first, Gosling admitted to being petrified, saying, he was completely frozen with fear, as if my body wasn’t his own. However, he was glad he decided to do it after all.
Having longed for this moment since his teenage years and through his filming of La La Land, now, the Canadian actor finally had the chance to face and maybe even overcome his fear of heights.
Ascending the water tower seems particularly symbolic at this juncture in Gosling’s illustrious career. Having been a prominent figure in Hollywood for over a decade, with three Oscar nominations for his roles in Half Nelson, La La Land, and the recent Barbie, Ken is simply living his best dream right now. This daring climb mirrors Gosling’s ascent in the world of acting, marking a pinnacle moment that showcases not just his physical but his professional heights as well.