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. 

Electronica band Desire (a.k.a. Megan Louise and Johnny Jewell,) whose song “Under Your Spell” was a memorable part of the Drive soundtrack, performed at the event. Guests who weren’t gathered around the stage huddled together around a nearby outdoor fireplace, crackling with burning branches. Down at the lake, a TAG Heuer chevron logo illuminated in white cast a mirror image on the black surface of the water as it rippled in the chill autumn wind.

“The last time I was here was for Zendaya’s birthday party. So I’m, I’m very excited to be back here. It’s very lovely place,” Harris said.

Among the celebrity guests were fellow TAG Heuer brand ambassadors Patrick Dempsey and his, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, and tennis great Naomi Osaka. 

Actors Randall Park and Daniel Dae Kim entered the party chatting together, while models and cultural influencers Shaun Ross and Luka Sabbat also attended.

— Aaron Sorkin on Scott Rudin: “He Got What He Deserves”
— The Controversy Behind the Scenes of Dallas Buyers Club
— Steven Van Zandt Talks Making, and Ending, The Sopranos
— Love Is a Crime: The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger’s Cleopatra
— Matt Drudge’s Impeachment Debut and Strange Origin Story
— Squid Game: The Perfect Show for Our Current Dystopia
— An Oral History of Zoolander
— Which James Bond Star Is the Ultimate 007?
— From the Archive: The Epic Folly and Scandalous Romance of Cleopatra
— Sign up for the “HWD Daily” newsletter for must-read industry and awards coverage—plus a special weekly edition of “Awards Insider.”