Ryan Gosling Reveals His Dog Sidekick in The Fall Guy Is ‘Homage’ to Eva Mendes’ Late Pet Hugo

Ryan Gosling’s dog stars in his upcoming film The Fall Guy it’s not just a punch line.

In a Q&A following the film’s premiere at SXSW on Tuesday, Gosling, 43, and the film’s director David Leitch talked about how they brought personal aspects of the actor’s life into the film, per The Hollywood Reporter. One such addition comes in the form of the dog that Gosling’s character Colt takes on as a sidekick in the film, and the actor said the dog character, who only responds to commands given in French, was inspired by his co-star Eva Mendes’ late pet.

“Eva used to have a dog named Hugo who was a Belgian Malinois who was an attack dog,” he said during a Q&A, according to the outlet. “He only spoke French. He’s passed away now, so this is my tribute to him.”

Gosling’s character Colt interacts with the dog, named Jean Claude in the film, during his journey to find missing action star Tom Ryder (Aaron-Taylor Johnson), for whom Colt works as a stuntman. Director Leitch, 48, said the dog was portrayed by two female Kelpies in the film.

“We wanted to bring this extra character into the mix,” Leich said of the dog’s inclusion in the film, per THR. “When you’re in an action scene, you’re always trying to create problems to keep things fresh. The rain is good. Ice is good. And adding an animal to the set is always great.”

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes relationship timeline

Ryan Gosling in Beverly Hills on February 10, 2024; Eva Mendes in Rome on October 30, 2010.

Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage ; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Gosling and Mendes, 50, began dating after meeting on the set of their film in 2012. A place behind the pines and they have been together ever since. The couple has two daughters: Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7.

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Mendes once told PEOPLE that her late dog Hugo “was so special” during an appearance at the New York & Co. fashion show. in the fall of 2018. “I would just talk to him and treat him like a person, as I think most dog lovers do,” she said at the time. “I just have this connection that will be there… He may be gone, but that feeling has never left me. It is one of the most special presences in my life.”

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Gosling and Blunt, 41, star in The Fall Guy with Taylor-Johnson, 33, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke and Stephanie Hsu. The film was inspired by the 1980s television series of the same name starring Lee Majors.

The Fall Guy is released in theaters on May 3.

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Source: HIS Education