Mentor calls Ryan Gosling to ‘Days of Our Lives' set

Ryan Gosling, the three-time Oscar-nominated actor has accepted an invitation to visit the set of Days of Our Lives after a heartfelt exchange with the show's legendary star Deidre Hall that captured Hollywood's attention this week.

It started when Gosling, appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast while promoting Project Hail Mary, spoke warmly about growing up watching the long-running soap and singled out Hall's portrayal of Marlena Evans as formative viewing. 

He was particularly taken by the show's possession storyline, and used the moment to make a broader point about how underappreciated soap actors are. 

"They do not get the love they deserve," he said. 

"The amount they have to memorize the night before, like 10 pages of dialogue. They get one take, and it's impossible scenarios." 

Watching Hall move between playing an ordinary person and someone "possessed by the devil," he added, was "an incredible acting class."

Hall, who has played Marlena since 1976, responded with a video message thanking Gosling and inviting him to come and see the set for himself. 

"We're just thrilled to be acknowledged and to be so well spoken of," she said, sharing that the cast had watched Gosling's comments together behind the scenes.

Gosling's reply, posted to Eva Mendes and Project Hail Mary's Instagram accounts, left no room for ambiguity. 

"This is a very enthusiastic yes to a very cordial invitation," he said. 

"I will be there to thank you in person… It wasn't Marlon Brando. It wasn't De Niro. It was you." He also called Hall his "OG acting inspiration", a line that, given the company it puts her in, is quite the tribute.

Project Hail Mary is currently in cinemas, with new episodes of Days of Our Lives streaming on Peacock.