Project Hail Mary directors used earpieces to de-isolate Ryan Gosling

Project Hail Mary, adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, follows lone astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) on a mission to save Earth and features an unexpected friendship with an alien companion. Gosling spent long stretches sealed inside a narrow spaceship set and asked directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to feed him whispered prompts through an earpiece so he wouldn’t feel alone.

The directors used the same method to give private notes to co‑star Sandra Hüller and to prompt real reactions mid‑take. They also wired James Ortiz, the voice and on‑set puppeteer behind Rocky, so he could ad‑lib into Gosling’s ear; much of that spontaneous material survived in the finished film.

Hüller called the approach liberating and said she used it selectively, while Lord and Miller — initially hesitant — even played mood music and early composer sketches in Gosling’s earpiece to help set the scene. Lord and Miller described the technique as a revelation that helped capture live, reactive moments.

hail mary, ryland grace, ryan gosling, phil lord, christopher miller, sandra hüller, james ortiz, earpiece prompts, rocky puppet, ad-lib