For a brief moment, it appeared that movie star Ryan Gosling pulled off one of the wildest “Jeopardy!” wins in the show’s history.
Ryan Gosling appears on ‘Jeopardy!’
A recent “Jeopardy!” clip showed Gosling in the lead going into the Final Jeopardy round. The “Barbie” star had $25,600, while his fellow competitors each had $14,200 and $11,400.
It all came down to the Final Jeopardy clue in the category “Medicine”: “This specific type of injury has made news at least since 1967 when it happened to Red Sox star Jim Lonborg.”
The three contestants had 30 seconds to come up with a response. Gosling seemed visibly perplexed, shaking his head repeatedly as time ticked away.
“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings first turned to the player in third place, who missed the clue and lost all $11,400. The second-place competitor came up with the correct response, ACL, and brought his total to $28,200 — putting him ahead of Gosling.
Jennings then revealed Gosling’s answer: “What is IDK?”
Like many contestants on the show, Gosling also wrote in a personal shoutout, showing some love to his wife, Eva Mendes.
Jennings was in the middle of saying the actor had failed to come up with the correct response when he quickly and unexpectedly shifted gears.
“Oh, and I’m told by our judges we will accept that. An ACL tear is also known as an IDK, internal derangement of the knee. Well done, Ryan!” Jennings said with excitement.
Gosling had wagered all of his money on the clue, bringing his game-winning total to a staggering $51,200.
“Ryan Gosling, congratulations!” Jennings said. “What a Hail Mary.”
The video, shared on official “Jeopardy!” social media sites, was convincing.
But it turns out Gosling’s appearance on the “Jeopardy!” set was scripted.
Ryan Gosling promotes ‘Project Hail Mary’ on ‘Jeopardy!’
Gosling’s time on “Jeopardy!” was part of a promotion for his upcoming movie “Project Hail Mary,” which hits theaters March 20.
“Jeopardy!” shared a behind-the-scenes clip of Gosling and Jennings interacting while filming the clip. As Jennings was getting ready to reveal the contestants’ answers, Gosling interrupted to say that he hadn’t yet finished writing down his response.
“I’m already messing things up,” Gosling said as he shifted to making small talk while the “Jeopardy!” crew prepared to start the scene over. “So Ken, you come here often?”
“I’m here weirdly often,” Jennings responded. “Can’t believe I haven’t seen you here.”
“Well this is why,” Gosling said. “I don’t think I’ll be allowed back.”
In “Project Hail Mary,” a sci-fi/adventure film that is rated PG-13, Gosling plays a science teacher named Ryland Grace who wakes up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth, per an IMDb description.
Based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir, “Project Hail Mary” follows Ryland as his memory returns and he uncovers a mission to save Earth.
The official movie trailer, which came out last year, has 23 million views on YouTube. Amazon MGM Studios also recently released a final trailer that has 17 million views.