Saoirse Ronan Reflects on Ryan Gosling’s Exit from 'The Lovely Bones'

Saoirse Ronan recently shared her experience of a casting change in Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones” during an appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. Ryan Gosling was initially cast as her on-screen father but was replaced by Mark Wahlberg just before filming began. Jackson disagreed with Gosling's decision to gain 60 pounds for the role, leading to his departure from the project.

Ronan revealed that although filming hadn’t started, the cast had already done some preparation, and she had bonded with Gosling. "I just loved Ryan and his dog, George," she said, expressing sadness over his exit. However, she acknowledged that the decision was valid, noting, “Sometimes you’re just not on the same page.”

Wahlberg stepped in and, as a father of three at the time, brought personal experience to the role that Gosling, then 27, might not have had. Ronan later worked with Gosling on his directorial debut, “Lost River.”

Gosling spoke about his departure from "The Lovely Bones" in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter a year after the film’s release. He explained that his decision to gain weight was based on his vision of the character, but it clashed with Jackson’s. “I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong,” Gosling said, humorously adding, “Then I was fat and unemployed.”