Actor Ryan Gosling is flying high after his critically acclaimed role as Ken in the surprise box office hit, “Barbie” earned him a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The 43-year-old actor has had a storied career, appearing in dramas, romantic comedies, and action films. His next film is the action comedy, “Fall Guy,” slated to open on May 3. It follows Gosling’s character, Colt Seavers, a stunt double in an action film who must find the film’s missing lead. The film’s director, David Leitch, worked as a stunt double to actor Brad Pitt and was a co-director and producer for the action-heavy “John Wick.”

Gosling spoke to Men’s Health about his experiences filming “Fall Guy.” He and Leitch spoke about the importance of practical effects in film and the toll the work takes on stuntmen. When asked if he has a “north star” to guide him, Gosling stated, “I just tend to go deathbed with everything.” He elaborated by saying, “I often think about what’s going to matter to me on my deathbed, that I did and that I didn’t do. It puts things into perspective. It always comes back to family first. I don’t think I’ll regret anything professionally, but I do think when it comes to Eva [Mendes] and the girls, they come first.” He said focusing on what really matters has been helpful because acting can be “distorting.” When asked who his heroes are, he said, “Well, Eva, obviously.”

Mendes and Gosling have been together since 2011 and have kept their relationship very private, to the point where there is still speculation on whether or not the pair have tied the knot. They share two daughters, Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7. A source told People that the couple prioritize their children in all they do. “For them, the most important job is their girls. Everything else comes second. And their girls are thriving,” said the source. “They left L.A. to live a bit further north, away from Hollywood. They didn’t want the girls to grow up around other celebrity kids.” The pair have always been supportive of one another, despite making it a policy not to appear at red-carpet events together. Gosling was recently spotted wearing a shirt with the title of Mendes’s new book, Desi, Mami, and the Never-ending Worries, to press tours for “Fall Guy.” And although Mendes and their girls did not join Gosling at the Oscars for his nomination, Gosling told People they were still part of helping him for his viral performance of “I’m Just Ken.” According to Gosling, his girls sat in on a dress rehearsal and offered some tips. “They gave me some tips and some notes, all great notes,” he said. “They are such a huge part of this for me…it was my girls’ interest in Barbie and disinterest in Ken that got me into this in the first place. It was beautiful to have them there at the end.”