Ryan Gosling Competed to Put on Weight for ‘Blue Valentine’

Ryan Gosling stars in “Blue Valentine” with Michelle Williams. The co-stars reportedly competed to gain weight for their roles.

(L-R) Producer Jane Rosenthal, director Derek Cianfrance, actress Michelle Williams, and actor Ryan Gosling attend a special screening of 'Blue Valentine' on Dec. 5 in New York City. Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company

Ryan Gosling, who stars in the romantic drama Blue Valentine, competed with co-star Michelle Williams to gain weight for their roles, writer and director Derek Cianfrance told People magazine.

The movie is “a story of love found and love lost told in past and present moments in time”, according to the Blue Valentine website.

It centers on the intense relationship between married couple Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams), who fell in love in their 20s and face challenges in their marriage six years later. As their relationship breaks down, both characters gain weight during the emotional turmoil.

Cianfrance told People that Williams was the winner of the weight gain battle, putting on 15 or 16 pounds, while Gosling gained 14.

“Michelle was eating a pint of ice cream for breakfast and dinner and avocado sandwiches all day,” Cianfrance said. “She wanted to do it. She talked about her character having a certain self-hatred.”

According to Cianfrance, Williams feasted on Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream, which helped her win the competition.

Blue Valentine will be released in the United States on Dec. 31.

Gosling is currently starring in All Good Things and other works in progress include Drive and The Ides of March, which will both be out next year.