Michelle Williams Says Living With Ryan Gosling During ‘Blue Valentine’ Was ‘Horrible’

Williams moved in with Gosling at the suggestion of the movie's director. She discussed the experience on the "Armchair Expert" podcast.

Michelle Williams might have nabbed an Academy Award nomination for “Blue Valentine,” but memories of her experience making the film were less than stellar.

Appearing on the “Armchair Expert” podcast this week, Williams recalled living together with co-star Ryan Gosling at the suggestion of the film’s writer-director, Derek Cianfrance, in order to effectively capture the breakdown of their characters’ relationship.

“We took a break in the filming. We shot the first part when they’re young and in love and everything’s going really well,” Williams explained. “And then we took a two-week break, and we lived together ― office hours, baby, like 9-to-5.”

Clarifying that cohabitating with Gosling was strictly a “professional situation,” she added: “So we did these improvisations during the day, honestly, to figure out ways to annoy each other and to destroy this thing that we had made.”

Released in 2010, “Blue Valentine” follows working-class couple Dean and Cindy (played by Gosling and Williams, respectively) during a rough patch in their marriage. The early days of Dean and Cindy’s relationship are recalled in emotional flashbacks as the film taps into darker themes, such as unwanted pregnancy and spousal abuse.