Quick summary
- Saturday Night Live cast member Ashley Padilla says Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day deliberately tried to make her laugh in the “Cyclops” sketch.
- She told Time the moment was not planned, and that Day gave her only a light warning beforehand.
- Cinemablend reported the story on 10 November 2026, with SNL’s 52nd season under way.
- Separately, Collider reports Gosling’s 2016 comedy The Nice Guys is now streaming on a new platform.
Ryan Gosling did not just host Saturday Night Live last season. According to Ashley Padilla, he and Mikey Day set out to make her lose control in a sketch called “Cyclops”, and it worked. Padilla described the experience in an interview with Time, which Cinemablend picked up on 10 November.
What Padilla said about the Cyclops sketch
Padilla explained that she writes sketches the way a songwriter thinks about a track, with beats to hit. A castmate who goes off-script to make her laugh is, in her words, a bit like someone banging a cowbell out of rhythm.
In “Cyclops”, she said, Day and Gosling teased her “like two older brothers”. She recalled laughing out of sheer disbelief and thinking, “How dare you guys. Stop it.” She was clear that none of it was planned.
According to Cinemablend, viewers can watch Padilla begging the pair to stop while they keep moving towards her. Kenan Thompson is also in the sketch, and the group cheers when it looks as though she has cracked.
How much warning she had
Day did give her a heads-up. Padilla said he told her, “We might come at you once”, and she answered, “OK, bring it on.” What followed went further than that single approach. She said she could not get a word out while holding a cue card she was supposed to read, because, as she put it, the audacity of the two men was killing her.
Cinemablend’s writer argues the sketch works better because Padilla is fighting so hard not to break. Cinemablend also notes that Gosling has broken on air himself during a previous hosting turn, and that the habit is as old as the show. The outlet adds that Lorne Michaels might not like it, though it calls that a possible misconception. We have not seen any comment from Michaels on this episode.
The Nice Guys moves to a new streaming home
In other Gosling news, Collider reports that The Nice Guys, the 2016 mystery comedy directed by Shane Black, is now streaming on a new platform. The outlet’s text names Apple TV, although its web address refers to Amazon Prime, so check the service in your region before you sit down to watch.
Gosling plays Holland March, a hapless private investigator, opposite Russell Crowe as the enforcer Jack Healy. The pair are drawn into a case of widespread corruption in 1970s Los Angeles. Collider calls the film a cult classic, and says Gosling has blamed its poor cinema run on the success of Angry Birds at the box office. It frames the comic turn as a surprise after Gosling’s darker roles in Drive and The Place Beyond the Pines.
Collider also reports that Shane Black has confirmed a sequel is unlikely, a decade after release, largely because of the disappointing box office. The outlet argues the time is right for a revival, citing Gosling’s recent run with Barbie, Project Hail Mary and his upcoming Ghost Rider role. It also points to Angourie Rice, who played March’s daughter Holly, as a rising name. That is Collider’s opinion, not an announcement.
We covered the film’s recent chart success in Ryan Gosling’s The Nice Guys Tops Apple TV Chart, and the Ghost Rider project in Ryan Gosling Gets Nicolas Cage’s Blessing as Ghost Rider. For everything else, see our Ryan Gosling tag page.
What happens next
Saturday Night Live is deep into its 52nd season, so more breaks on air are likely. Nothing has been announced about a Gosling return as host. On The Nice Guys, no sequel is in development according to the sources we read, but streaming interest may keep the conversation going.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ryan Gosling SNL sketch made Ashley Padilla laugh?
It was “Cyclops”, from the episode Gosling hosted last season. Padilla said Gosling and Mikey Day were teasing her, and that the moment was not planned.
Is there a sequel to The Nice Guys?
Not at present. Collider reports Shane Black has said a sequel is unlikely, citing the film’s weak box office on release.
Who stars in The Nice Guys?
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe play the lead detectives, with Margaret Qualley and Angourie Rice in supporting roles, according to Collider.
