Clocking In With Ryan Gosling

We talk with TAG Heuer's @ latest ambassador on his roles, the inspiration 3 119 of automobiles and his interest in watches.

- Celine Yap

There aren’t many Hollywood actors who’ve starred in a musical comedy, then a cyber-punk thriller, followed by a historical biopic the same way Ryan Gosling has. Consecutively and in three short years. His range as an actor writs large as he moves from a laconic jazz musician to a hard-nosed LAPD officer-slash-blade runner to a young Neil Armstrong with tacit fearlessness.

But the movies that reveal a little more about who—or where—Gosling would rather be, are the high-octane productions like Drive and The Place Beyond the Pines, where he spends a disproportionate amount of time behind the wheel (or handlebar). With this natural affinity for motorsports and automobiles, the actor is perfectly at home in the TAG Heuer universe, where iconic timepieces such as the Carrera reflect a passionate motor racing heritage. As TAG Heuer’s newest global ambassador, Gosling got first dibs on its latest Carrera collection, from the elegant three-hand to the sporty day-date, where timeless design forms a natural connection with his preference for clean and simple aesthetics.

ESQUIRE: You’ve just finished shooting The Grey Man, Netflix’s biggest blockbuster to date—what was it like working with the Russo brothers? Regé-Jean Page, who acted in it as well, mentioned he was surprised that for such a big-budget film there was a lot of room for improv and last-minute scene re-writes…

RYAN GOSLING: The Russos are great like that, always taking things apart and putting them back together. I can imagine some directors working at that scale might be hesitant to take their movie out of the garage for a joy ride. The Russos just drive it like they own it.

ESQ: