GOC went up into space and had an incredible chat with Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller for Project Hail Mary, and we can successfully report that the mission was a success.
Based on the beloved 2021 sci-fi novel by Andy Weir (yes, the same genius behind The Martian), Project HailMary follows Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher who wakes up alone on a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth with no memory of how he got there. As his memories return, he realizes he has been sent on a solo mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat.
Ryan Gosling plays Grace, and Sandra Hüller plays Stratt, the formidable force who makes the whole mission possible back on Earth.
During our chat, we talked about Ryan’s experience working alongside Sandra, the unscripted moment that Ryan himself called the best scene in the film, the pressure of adapting one of the most beloved sci-fi novels in recent memory, and what it means to know fans are fiercely protective of every single character in this story.
Our Managing Editor, Britany, was supposed to be on the ground with us for this one, but Canadian weather had other plans. She dialed in through a snowstorm anyway, because that is the kind of dedication this team runs on, and she ended up asking one of the best questions of the whole interview (more on that later).
Check out our interview with Ryan Gosling and Sandra Hüller for Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling on Sandra Hüller in Project Hail Mary: “A Once-in-a-Lifetime Thing.”
Right out of the gate, Ryan opened up about what it meant to share this mission with Sandra.
Gosling said, “Getting to work with Sandra is, like, a once-in-a-lifetime thing. She elevated this movie in ways that people won’t even understand. She held it down for us in such a beautiful way and complicated way, and brought so many layers to this character.”
And then he said something that completely changed the orbit of the room, “She sang. That wasn’t in the script. She picked that Harry Styles song that became the anthem of the movie. I would say the best scene in the film. So thank you, Sandra.”
The Unscripted Project Hail Mary Moment Nobody Saw Coming
Sandra’s karaoke scene hit different in the theater. Her explanation of how it came together made it hit even harder. She told us she looked to real female world leaders as her compass for Stratt, and what she observed completely shaped her performance.
Hüller said, “They don’t make so much fuss about it. They’re very silent. They don’t yell. They’re just acting with dignity, and they’re humble and focused. I wanted to transport this a little bit.”
As for the song, she only learned Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” the day before filming. She went searching for a goodbye song, found the right one, and delivered it in a pitch that is genuinely stratospheric. No offense to Harry Styles, but Hüller Kelly Clarksoned his song. Her version is the only version I want to hear now. I hope they release it officially when the film hits theaters.
Sandra Hüller Has a Secret Album and We Are Reporting This as News
After, I told Hüller that we needed that moment on an album immediately, she casually revealed she already has one.
It is called Be Your Own Prince. It exists. It is online. She made it a long time ago. Sandra Hüller is operating on a level the rest of us cannot access, and I think we all need to sit with that. She truly is a multi-talented queen.
Ryan Gosling on the Weight of Adapting a Fan-Favorite Book
Project Hail Mary fans are fiercely protective of this story, and Gosling knew it. He actually read the manuscript before the book was published, so he came in without the pressure at first.
Gosling said, “But then once we started getting going, people were reading the book and we were like, oh, it’s a science fiction masterpiece. We have people fiercely protective over Rocky and these characters. It did add a lot of pressure.”
Still, he welcomed every bit of it: “It was so comforting to know how much love there was for this story. I’ve never worked on a film where I knew the story was stress tested in this way.”
Britany Dialed in from a Canadian Snowstorm and Asked the Best Question
This is the part where we give our Managing Editor, Britany, her flowers. Calling in during a storm, she shared which one of their characters she’d like to go on a space mission with, and asked both Gosling and Hüller for their picks.
For Gosling, Britany went with Sean Hanlon from Breaker High, and his reaction was everything.
Gosling said, “Oh my God, that’s such a deep, deep cut. I’m kind of blown away.”
For Hüller, Britany’s pick was Wendy from Proxima, which made complete sense given the astronaut connection.
Both of them absolutely loved it. The mission was truly a success.