Ryan Gosling Finds Time To Get Personal

An elegant nighttime party for a luxury watchmaker is not the place you’d expect a star to get personal, especially one as reserved and private as Ryan Gosling, so it was surprising when he brought up his two children with Eva Mendes as he spoke to the audience gathered at the TAG Heuer event Thursday evening.

The gathering, held outdoors at the vast Lake 2 Estate in the Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Beverly Hills, was set up by the Swiss company as a way of showcasing its new partnership with the two-time Oscar-nominated La La Land and Half Nelson actor, who avoids talking about his private life almost as scrupulously as he has avoided sponsorships. 

When the event moderator, Slave Play playwright and Zola co-screenwriter Jeremy O. Harris, asked him why he decided to team with TAG Heuer, the actor first mentioned their technical innovation and 160-year history before turning introspective. “On a personal level, you know, it’s about time in a way,” Gosling said. “I have two small kids and they’re growing up fast. So I keep my eye on the clock in a way I never used to. So this sort of signifies that to me.”

The family man aesthetic is a contrast to the theme of the new promotional photo series Gosling created with photographer Pari Dukovic, who joined the actor onstage alongside TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault. Arnault, who invoked the company’s long-ago partnership with the late Steve McQueen, an equally stoic screen star, said their new Carrera Three Hands collection has a racing theme, so the photos call to mind Gosling’s 2011 high-speed noir Drive. (The jacket is black leather now, not silvery and emblazoned with a golden scorpion.)

Arnault explained why they wanted to invoke the feel of the Nicolas Winding Refn film. “Ryan, as an actor is so, so important in this movie,” he said. “The fearlessness. He did his own stunts. There’s so much emotion that comes out of this movie.” While Drive aligned with the brand, the CEO added: “Now, personally, my favorite is La La Land, and the reason is I personally play piano and I was very moved by his role.”

The Lake 2 Estate can fit more than a 1,000 guests, but only a few hundred were invited to gather on its sprawling lawns and terraces, with proof of vaccination required for entry, as Hollywood attempts to carefully return to events amid the ongoing pandemic.