Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling has stated that if he could redo any role, it would be the character of Sebastian in La La Land. Gosling was recently asked in a video interview by The Wall Street Journal Magazine if he could think of any role from across his accomplished career that he’d like to have another shot at. Although the actor did not seem too keen to change much of his long-running career, he was quick to respond “La La Land”, blaming a choreography blunder that still “haunts” the actor to this day.

Movie buffs might be quick to question Gosling’s response. Directed by Damian Chazelle, the 2016 musical saw Gosling nominated for the Best Actor Oscar that year and saw co-star Emma Stone win Best Actress for her role as aspiring actress Mia. Chazelle also went away with the award for Best Director, and the film narrowly missed Best Picture after a memorable blunder concerning Moonlight’s win. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%, La La Land was a hit with audiences and critics alike.

What did Ryan do wrong?

Expanding on his surprising answer, Gosling explained, “We’re dancing, Emma and I, and I didn’t know this would become the poster for the movie”, referencing the image of Gosling and Stone dancing before a hazy Los Angeles skyline. “We were supposed to have our hands up, and I thought it would be cool to put my hand [flatter] even though everyone told me it wasn’t cool. I was sure it was cooler.” An outwardly embarrassed Gosling continued, “It just killed the energy that way. I call it ‘La La Hand’.” The interviewer then went on to inform Gosling that his ‘La La Hands’ were colloquially referred to as “Hamburger Hands” among dance communities.

Gosling’s mishap, however, may have been resolved. Despite the film now being around eight years old, its official social media accounts are still fairly active, providing fans of the hit musical with regular content to suit their appetites. La La Land’s official social media pages were quick to the actor’s aid, posting an alternate poster that did not feature the “hamburger hands”.

Although this social media solve might feel cathartic, Gosling’s “flat” hands are still featured in all official material for the 2016 flick. It seems that the “La La Hand” and the actor’s new moniker “Hamburger Hands Gosling” are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

La La Land is available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and digital streaming platforms. La La Land is currently available to stream on Prime Video.

Enjoyed reading this article? Check out these articles from Redbrick Film:

In Defence of: Hollywood | Redbrick Film

The Death of Originality in Cinema and the Surplus of Sequels | Redbrick Film

Redbrick Rewind: 10 Things I Hate About You | Redbrick Film