For his role in the 2016 musical film La La Land, Ryan Gosling underwent months of intensive piano training. He practiced for two hours a day, six days a week, for three to four months to prepare for his character’s performances.
Rather than learning through traditional sheet music, Gosling memorized the songs by watching his instructor and learning the exact finger placements. His dedication allowed him to play every note on screen from memory, giving director Damien Chazelle the ability to film extended piano sequences without using a hand double or digital effects.