Guess What Actor Ryan Gosling Replaced In La La Land

Even if you don't know a damn thing about La La Land save for the fact that it stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, your interest should be piqued. That's because Gosling and Stone have truly magical on-screen chemistry, which they've reignited in their third movie together (following 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love and 2013's Gangster Squad). La La Land is a musical dramedy about two aspiring performers in Los Angeles — Gosling's jazz musician Sebastian and Stone's actress Mia — who fall in love. Their romance is the heart of the film — which makes the fact that another actor was originally cast in Gosling's role so surprising. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Miles Teller revealed that he was initially set to star as Sebastian in the dreamy flick. Writer-director Damien Chazelle worked with Teller in the filmmaker's Oscar-nominated 2014 drama Whiplash, but Chazelle ultimately changed his mind and decided to go with Gosling.

Vanity Fair asked Teller if he harbors any animosity now that the movie is generating Oscar buzz. "I’m a pretty strong believer that everything happens for a reason. I’m happy Damien made the film he wanted to make... I don’t get jealous of good reviews." We're glad Teller has a healthy attitude about the switch-up, because the fact is that casting changes happen all the time in Hollywood, and it's nothing personal.

While it's not clear why Chazelle went a different direction for his lead, we wouldn't be surprised if it was indeed due to Gosling and Stone's sparkling chemistry; that's something a director can't conjure with his camera. There's also Gosling's signature sleepy smile — which, in our minds, is enough in itself to light up the big screen.