“He won’t talk to me”: Ryan Gosling’s Cult-Classic ‘Drive’ Director Convinced Barbie Star for the Movie After Himself Failing Driving Test 8 Times in a Row
The iconic movie Drive starring Ryan Gosling under the direction of Nicolas Winding Refn was released in 2011 and from the movement the movie hit the silver screen, it gained a cult status among viewers. However, very few people knew the actual backstory behind the movie. The entire idea of the movie started when director Refn’s had a mental breakdown during a serendipitous car ride with Ryan Gosling. Despite Refn’s inability to drive, he was able to convenience Ryan Gosling to work in this iconic movie in a heartbeat.
The Director of Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn failed his driving test 8 times
The director of the iconic movie Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn cannot drive in real life. Despite giving the driving exam 8 times, Refn failed to pass it. Back in 2011 in an interview when he was asked why he does not drive he said,
“I just don’t have a license.” He added, “I failed eight times. Three times in my written exam, I only passed it because I could memorize the symbols. I didn’t know what they meant. On the fifth time I was doing my… practical… and I failed it again, of course. And, you know. Hey man. God works in mysterious ways and I wasn’t meant to drive.”
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Despite his inability to drive or to even get past the driving test, Refn was able to convince Ryan Gosling to be a part of the movie Drive.
Nicolas Winding Refn convinced Ryan Gosling to be a part of Drive
Nicolas Winding Refn, best known for this Pusher trilogy, came to Hollywood for a completely different movie called Dying of the Light. As per the storyline, by the end of this movie, actor Harrison Ford’s (who was later replaced by Nicolas Cage) character was going to die which made Refn more excited for the movie.
However, while returning to Los Angeles, Refn caught flue and despite his illness, a meeting was arranged with Ryan Gosling at a restaurant. After spending a dry and disappointing time with each other both of them parted ways, but Refn after failing the driving tests eight times felt too cheap to get a taxi and requested Gosling to drop him at his restaurant.
Referring to this incident in 2011, Gosling told NYTimes,
“I’m stuck with him for another hour driving out to Santa Monica, and he won’t talk to me so I turn on the radio to quiet the silence and REO Speedwagon’s ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ comes on.”
Euphoric and high from the medication, Refn turned the volume up and started to sing along, and started to cry.
With the thought of leaving his family behind in Copenhagen just after having a second child, and pursuing a movie Ford wasn’t interested in, he suddenly had an epiphany. He turned to Gosling, and screamed- “We’re going to make a movie about a man who drives around in a car, listening to pop music because that is his emotional release!” and Gosling just turned towards Refn and said, “I’m in.”
It only took a flue, a mental breakdown, and an unwanted car drive to come up with the idea of one of the biggest blockbuster hits like Drive bringing in success for both Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn.
Source: Inverse
