Final Four Picks & Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary, Diva Puppets & Being a Liability at DB | Ep 183 - New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce Recap

Podcast: New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Published: 2026-03-18

Guests: Ryan Gosling

What Happened

Ryan Gosling joined Jason and Travis Kelce to discuss his starring role in the movie adaptation of 'Project Hail Mary,' written by Andy Weir. Gosling, a three-time Academy Award nominee, produced the film and stressed the importance of remaining true to the source material. The film features a puppet character named Rocky, with five puppeteers bringing it to life instead of using CGI, aiming to create a more authentic interaction.

Gosling shared his admiration for Weir's optimistic perspective on human capability and problem-solving, which are central themes of the book. Despite his involvement in a space-themed film, Gosling expressed no interest in traveling to space, contrasting with Travis Kelce's curiosity about visiting the moon.

The episode also touched on Gosling's background, including his early interest in performance inspired by his uncle, an Elvis impersonator. This fascination with music led Gosling and his sister to sing at weddings. Gosling humorously commented on being the unofficial face of Taco Bell inflation and recalled his suspension from first grade for bringing steak knives to school.

The Kelce brothers are running a March Madness bracket challenge in collaboration with Reese's, their episode sponsor. They shared details about their upcoming book 'No Dumb Questions,' set to release on June 2nd. Additionally, Jason and Travis mentioned a recent Oscars event where Conan O'Brien received high praise for his hosting, and a short film titled 'The Girl That Cries Pearls' won the best animated short film award.

Ryan Gosling reflected on his recent work in a Star Wars film directed by Sean Levy, set in a unique timeline with original characters. Gosling recounted a humorous incident on set where Harrison Ford punched him during a scene and then took the ice and Advil meant for Gosling.

The conversation veered into the realm of science fiction and its portrayal of extraterrestrial life. Neil deGrasse Tyson's critique of sci-fi films' lack of creativity in depicting aliens was mentioned, aligning with the film's grounded scientific approach.

Gosling talked about his connection to the Rocky film series through the character Rocky in 'Project Hail Mary.' In a lighter moment, the hosts discussed Sylvester Stallone's story of selling and later buying back his dog to fund the original 'Rocky' movie.

The episode wrapped up with Gosling's humorous recounting of being expelled from preschool for stabbing a classmate with a spork, drawing parallels with his first-grade suspension. His film 'Project Hail Mary' is set to release on March 20th in theaters.

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