Ryan Gosling turned a mop into his co-star while filming Project Hail Mary

Filming a largely solo role in space took its toll on Ryan Gosling, so he came up with an unusual solution while shooting Project Hail Mary: he made friends with a mop.

The actor revealed that after spending nearly 100 days working mostly alone on set, he started craving some form of interaction. That’s when he pitched the idea to directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, he wanted to turn a mop into a character and play scenes with it.

Instead of dismissing the idea, the directing duo embraced it. They quickly put together a prop companion, humorously named “Moppy Ringwald,” and let Gosling run with it.

What followed was a day of filming that included not just acting, but even dancing with his makeshift co-star.

Gosling praised the filmmakers for their openness and creativity, noting that few directors would be willing to pause and adapt to such an offbeat request. The moment highlighted both the challenges of isolated filming and the collaborative spirit on set.

Despite the unusual behind-the-scenes story, the film itself is anything but small. Project Hail Mary has become a major box office success, pulling in over $140 million globally on opening weekend, one of the biggest debuts of the year and a rare win for an original, non-franchise sci-fi film.