Michelle Williams on Living with Ryan Gosling While Filming Breakup Drama 'It Was Horrible'

Published: May 20, 2025

Michelle Williams has opened up about the intense experience of filming her 2010 drama Blue Valentine alongside co-star Ryan Gosling. In a recent podcast appearance, Williams revealed that she and Gosling lived together for a short period during filming to get into character.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams attend the Blue Valentine premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

The film, directed by Derek Cianfrance, follows the love story of a married couple that unravels throughout the course of the movie. Williams shared that she and Gosling took a break in filming, during which they lived together for a short period to prepare for the more intense and emotional scenes.

“We took a break in filming. We shot the first part when they’re going really well,” Williams explained. “And then we took a two-week break, and we lived together.”

Williams clarified that she and Gosling didn’t live together full-time, jokingly referring to it as “office hours, baby, like nine to five,” calling it a “professional situation.”

The experience was intense, with Williams admitting that it was “horrible” and that she had to fight her instinct to make him like her. “I don’t want to give you reasons to hate me or think I’m obnoxious,” she explained.

Despite the challenges, the film earned Williams an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Read more about Michelle Williams’ experience filming Blue Valentine here.

Related Stories