Ryan Gosling almost joined the already-star-studded cast of Atlanta.
On the night of the series season 3 premiere, show creator Donald Glover told People magazine the he and Gosling were in talks about a potential guest role. Glover didn’t reveal any details about what character Gosling would’ve taken on, but said the part was perfect for the Oscar-nominated actor.
“He said he was a big fan, but he had something else, and it just didn’t work out,” Glover told the publication. “I was so bummed because the part was so great for him!”
Glover, who also stars in Atlanta, said he and Gosling even discussed the role over the phone, and “were going to do it”; however, the First Man star had to back out because of a last-minute conflict. It’s unclear if Gosling’s role was scrapped for the season, or if it was passed along to someone else.
Gosling expressed his interest in joining Atlanta during a 2017 interview with Metro.
“I don’t know if there’s a place for me on the show Atlanta, but I’m a big fan of that show,” he said when asked about which series he’d like to make a cameo in.
The 41-year-old actor made the comments in between Atlanta season 1 and season 2. Though he missed his chance to appear in the dramedy—as the fourth and finale season has already ended production—there’s still a chance he could collaborate with Glover on another small-screen role. Glover is currently developing projects for Amazon, including a Janine Nabers series that will reportedly focus on a “Beyoncé-type character.” Former first daughter Malia Obama is working on that project as a writer.