Which cult comedy does Ryan Gosling call his favorite film? Here’s what we know

Ryan Gosling has done his share of comedy films in his career, which showcases his comedic timing. Some of the prominent examples have to be The Fall Guy, The Nice Guys, and Barbie. All these films came out in different years and have been well-received by the audiences.

Besides being an actor, he is also an audience member and a consumer of comedy films. While promoting The Gray Man, Ryan Gosling spoke about his favorite films in different genres, including comedy, and named Step Brothers as one of his favorites. This 2008 film stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

Ryan Gosling loves Step Brothers

Ryan Gosling was speaking to Still Watching Netflix to promote The Gray Man, where he revealed some of his favorite films. He mentioned Ghost Rider, Bloodsport, as well as the cult comedy film Step Brothers. Referring to the latter as his secret favorite, Gosling said:

"I feel like you tell people your favorite movie is On the Waterfront when it's really Step Brothers."

Ryan Gosling's comment reflects the situation of a lot of people who really love a film but are simply unable to tell people about it for fear of being judged.

Step Brothers is an Adam McKay-directed film that was written by him with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller are the producers. The story is about two grown-up men who are forced to live together after their single parents marry each other. The film was released on July 25, 2008, by Sony Pictures Releasing and ended up grossing around $128 million at the box office. Here's a list of its cast members.

Will Ferrell as Brennan Huff
Andrea Savage as Denise
John C. Reilly as Dale Doback
Mary Steenburgen as Nancy Huff
Lurie Poston as Tommy Huff
Seth Morris as Doctor
Richard Jenkins as Dr. Robert Doback
Adam Scott as Derek Huff
Kathryn Hahn as Alice Huff
Wayne Federman as Blind Man
Elizabeth Yozamp as Tiffany Huff
Logan Manus as Chris Gardocki
Travis T. Flory as Redheaded Kid
Shira Piven as Nurse

The success of the film sparked an idea of a sequel in Ferrell. In 2018, the actor spoke to the Daily Mail about it.

“We talked about (a sequel to) Step Brothers, and then Adam and I got sidetracked with other things. We had a whole story where John and I follow our parents to live in a retirement community and try to convince them that we earned the right to retire as well.”

However, the sequel did not materialize as Adam McKay got busy with other projects.

Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling has had his brush with the comedy genre. In 2023, he played Ken in Greta Gerwig's comedy drama Barbie. His character starts out as a superficial guy who eventually morphs into a self-aware individual. In The Fall Guy, he plays a stuntman who becomes a part of a conspiracy.

Before these projects, Gosling had done a neo-noir buddy comedy film called The Nice Guys. Also starring Russell Crowe, the film revolved around the unlikely teaming up of a private investigator and a hitman to look for a missing girl.