Ryan Gosling’s involvement with La La Land started with a night of drinks and movie talk with writer-director Damien Chazelle, whom, he met through a common friend, producer Marc Platt. “we talked a lot about film in general, and Damien has a very infectious love of movies”, he told us in Toronto When Chazelle emailed Gosling the theme song for La La Land, the deal was closed. “It was really, really beautiful and I thought ..that’s something I don’t mind spending 3 months learning how to play the piano.” Which he does, a lot, as La La Land’s passionate Sebastian, a pianist obsessed with the golden age of West Coast Jazz – “he’s a zealot, a purist, who feels it’s his job to save jazz.” This is Ryan Gosling’s fifth nomination.