Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Digital Cover mother-and-baby

Ryan Gosling reveals Burt Reynolds had a crush on his 'really beautiful' mom

The Barbie actor worked with the late star on the movie Frankenstein and Me

Hannah Hargrave
US Deputy Editor
2 May 2024
Share this:

Good looks run in the family! Ryan Gosling had a hilarious exchange on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday when he detailed working with Burt Reynolds when he was a teenager. 

Talking to the host about the late actor's personality and whether he was friendly on the set of the 1996 movie, Frankenstein and Me, Ryan confessed that Burt was, but only because he fancied his mom. 

"I'm surprised you don't know it," Ryan first joked about his feature film debut. "Frankenstein and Me."

WATCH: Ryan Gosling reveals Burt Reynolds had a crush on his mom

Jimmy then quizzed him on his relationship with Burt, to which he said: "It's complicated."

The audience and host began laughing as Ryan regaled how he came to realize Burt's crush on his mom, Donna

Ryan Gosling turned up to the Oscars with his entire family © Getty Images
Ryan with his sister Mandi, mom Donna and stepfather, Valerio Attanasio

"I thought he took a shine to me," he recalled. "I thought he thought there was something special about me. And then I realized that I have a really beautiful mom."

The Notebook start continued: "He was just kind of interested. It was like I was getting a secondary shine. The real shine was for my mom. And I was like, 'Oh, this is secondary shine.' " 

Burt Reynolds 2018© Photo: Getty Images
Burt took a shine to Ryan's mom

Jimmy asked his guest how long it took him to realize his mom was the apple of Burt's eye, not him.

"I wish I had found out sooner," he quipped before clarifying that his mom "loved" the attention from Burt but "nothing" ever happened. 

Ryan Gosling with his 'really beautiful' mom Donna© Getty Images
Ryan Gosling with his 'really beautiful' mom Donna

Jimmy was quick to then point out that had they become a couple, "You could have been Ryan Reynolds on the acting scene," to which Ryan joked: "This close."

He also spilled on the advice Burt gave him while working together. 

"He was like, 'Let me tell you something kid, Don't spend your whole life stepping over diamonds to live with a cubic zirconia'. I was like, 'I'm 13. I don't know what any of those things are. Stop looking at my mom, I'm right here.'"

Photo from a video shared by Hits Radio to YouTube from an interview with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, in which he's wearing a t-shirt that reads "Desi, Mami, and the Never-Ending Worries," Eva Mendes' upcoming children's book.© Hits Radio YouTube
Ryan is promoting his new movie, The Fall Guy, with Emily Blunt

The conversation around Burt was sparked because Ryan is playing stuntman Colt Seavers in his new movie, The Fall Guy, and Burt was a stuntman before he became an actor. 

The film follows down-and-out Colt who goes on a mission to find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend, director Jody Moreno's blockbuster movie. 

Jody is played by Emily Blunt

The Fall Guys hits theatres on May 3. 

Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S.  Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox. 

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Parenting

See more