Ryan Gosling set social media abuzz at the Paris premiere of his sci-fi film, Project Hail Mary.
Instead of focusing on his movie, several people fixated on the Hollywood heartthrob’s appearance. Specifically, many users attributed the apparent puffiness of his face to possible cosmetic work.
For the premiere on Wednesday (March 11), Ryan looked dapper in a pinstripe suit and leather tie courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana.
Ryan Gosling’s Paris premiere sparked frenzy over the actor’s alleged “new face”
Image credits: Aurore Marechal/Getty Images
Commenting on his alleged “new face,” one viewer asked, “This isn’t a wax figure?”
“His injector needs to be jailed,” exclaimed one critic.
Another person said Ryan looks like a “50-year-old teenager,” even though the actor is 45.
“How are we supposed to believe this man is a lonely space scientist?” someone wrote, referring to his latest role. “He looks like he is about to drop a fragrance called Oxygen.”
The Notebook star, who has not addressed the online commentary about his appearance, previously sparked plastic surgery speculation when he sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show earlier this month.
Pointing to a supposed change in his face, many claimed Ryan had undergone cosmetic procedures like Botox or fillers, speculating that he did so around the time he began filming for Barbie to look younger for the role of the charming, insecure Ken.
Many fans lamented that the 45-year-old actor appears to have had plastic surgery or Botox
Image credits: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage / Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
“He looks like he had his cheeks and nose done,” one viewer commented following his talk-show appearance.
“Love Ryan Gosling, he’s one of a kind. I just wish he’d stop getting filler in his face,” echoed another.
“It’s been a hard week. I found out Ryan Gosling is using filler and I’m still not back with my ex,” someone else quipped.
Others complimented the Canadian star’s appearance, attributing any changes to his natural aging process, and noting that it’s expected he doesn’t look the same as he did in The Notebook at 45.
Amid the speculation about Ryan’s alleged cosmetic work, plastic surgeons have weighed in, comparing old and recent photos of the actor.
Dr. Sean McNally, who has not treated Ryan, said it appears that he didn’t have surgery but did receive facial fillers.
“In the last couple of years it appears that he’s utilized filler for his midface,” he told The Daily Mail.
“This is a common spot of concern for aging since the fat pad drops and shrinks making people look older and hollow there.”
Plastic surgeons said fillers, not surgery, are behind the changes
Image credits: elmo
Similarly, aesthetic doctor Dr. Jonny Betteridge said Ryan seems to have had dermal fillers at four points in his mid-face region. He noted that the changes became visible in 2021, coinciding with the production of Barbie.
“It’s clear to see the change in his facial proportions and the fullness to his mid-face and cheeks,” said Dr. Betteridge, who has also not treated Ryan, in an Instagram Reel that has received millions of views.
Before the change, the aesthetics expert observed, the La La Land talent had a “sunken-like appearance” in his face and “well-structured cheekbones.”
Ryan Gosling sings “Sign Of The Times” in front of Harry Styles on SNL. pic.twitter.com/U43McUKveI
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 8, 2026
In interviews, Ryan has pushed back against the idea that he’s a typical handsome leading man.
Speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times, he said, “I’m not that good looking. I think I’m a pretty weird-looking guy.
“Every role I got up until The Notebook was the weirdo, psychopath, nerd, outsider character guy.”
Ryan has pushed back on his heartthrob label, insisting he’s “weird-looking”
Image credits: AmazonMGMStudios
In another interview with The Sun, he suggested his reputation as a heartthrob might be more about his personality than his looks.
“If I have any particular appeal to women, maybe it’s because I listen more than other guys do and appreciate how they think and feel about things,” the star said.
Ryan explained that he grew up in a family of “strong women” and said he owes any capacity he has to understand women to his mother and older sister.
Though he achieved mainstream popularity with the role of Noah, the romantic lead in The Notebook at age 23, the actor has alternated between heartthrob roles and projects that challenge that image and are quirkier or darker.
In Project Hail Mary, his upcoming sci-fi adventure film, Ryan stars as Dr. Ryland Grace, a science school teacher who wakes up on a spaceship light-years from home with no memory of who he is or how he got there.
Dr. Grace must rely on his scientific knowledge to solve the mystery of a substance that threatens Earth and could lead to its extinction.
Based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir, the space film also stars Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub.
Project Hail Mary hits theaters on March 20.
Fans reacted to Ryan Gosling’s red carpet appearance at the Project Hail Mary premiere
Image credits: pink_nylon
