Ryan Gosling’s Cringey Phone Call With Mikey Day Goes Viral

Hollywood Celebrities
Roland Hannah
Ryan Gosling’s cringey Pal-entine’s Day phone call goes viral. [Image Source: HELLOMAGAZINE]

A leaked phone call featuring Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day has sparked widespread discomfort online, with viewers describing the exchange as forced, awkward, and painful to watch. The clip went viral after Gosling’s wife, Eva Mendes, shared it on her social media on February 15, igniting a flood of criticism focused on its unusual and tense tone.

This viral moment, dubbed the “Pal-entine’s Day” call, caught attention just weeks ahead of Gosling’s fourth hosting appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL). Fans debated the authenticity of the conversation, wondering whether it was a genuine interaction or a carefully staged promotional stunt.

Background: The “Pal-entine’s Day” Call and Its Uncomfortable Vibe

Shortly before his scheduled SNL hosting gig on March 7, Ryan Gosling joined Mikey Day—one of the show’s popular comedians—on a FaceTime call to mark Valentine’s Day, which they humorously renamed “Pal-entine’s Day.” Day opened by congratulating Gosling on his return to host SNL, expressing his excitement.

During the call, Day inquired whether they would revisit their 2024 SNL “Beavis and Butt-Head” sketch with a sequel. At this point, Gosling abruptly steered the conversation away from work to wish Day a happy Pal-entine’s Day, saying,

“But before that, I just, I’m actually calling not to talk about work. Just to say Happy Palentine’s Day. I love you.”

Ryan Gosling, Actor

Ryan Gosling
Image of: Ryan Gosling

Gosling explained the term by comparing it to Galentine’s Day but for men, a time when

“guys can be emotionally honest with each other.”

Day appeared visibly perplexed but responded with a hesitant, “That’s cool, man. Yeah. Alright.”

The Call’s Abrupt Shift to Project Hail Mary Promotion

What began as an awkward friendly exchange soon turned into a marketing segment for Gosling’s upcoming film, Project Hail Mary. Gosling showed Day Valentine’s cards he had created, featuring an alien character from the movie, which highlights a platonic bond between his character and the extraterrestrial.

Day grew increasingly skeptical, eventually asking,

“Sorry, what is this? Is this like a marketing thing for your movie or something? You just like, you called me and you’re showing me Valentine’s, your character from your movie would show an alien.”

Mikey Day, Comedian

Gosling answered with a chuckle,

“Yeah, you were saying it comes out on March 20th… Weren’t you saying it’s like Interstellar meets E.T.?”

Ryan Gosling, Actor

As the call wrapped up, Gosling referred to Day as “my sweet prince,” a phrase that only added to the discomfort viewers felt. Mikey Day’s visible frustration signaled the awkwardness beneath the surface of the seemingly promotional conversation.

Fans React With Cringe and Skepticism Over the Interaction

The clip quickly attracted harsh criticism across social media, with many branding the entire phone call as painfully awkward and inauthentic. One user posted,

“This just feels painfully awkward rather than funny. It comes across as forced, overly weird, and cringey, like someone trying way too hard to be quirky or ‘relatable’ on camera. The sudden bizarre lines make it uncomfortable to watch rather than genuinely entertaining.”

Netizen

Others echoed this sentiment, posting comments such as,

“Not genuine, not funny. At all.”

and

“Contextual gaslighting & manipulation is taking on a whole new level…”

Some viewers bluntly summarized the experience as two men

“trying to make content and failing miserably.”

Uncomfortable Moments Highlighted by Viewers and Critics

One particularly vocal critic shared,

“Ryan Gosling calling Mikey Day ‘my sweet prince’ is the most uncomfortable thing I have seen in 2026.”

Another user described the secondhand embarrassment they felt, writing,

“Ryan Gosling said ‘my sweet prince’ and I physically cringed through my screen.”

Criticism also targeted the stunt-like nature of the call, with a viewer stating,

“When a promo stunt is obvious, it stops being funny… If people are debating whether it’s awkward or funny, the joke probably didn’t land.”

Some fans speculated that Gosling was fully committed to the bit, comparing it to method acting for his new film. One user laughed at Mikey Day’s facial expressions, commenting on the “secondhand cringe” the comedian displayed. Another dismissed the skit outright, writing,

“That’s definitely a Joke. Ryan just trolling him… Whatever..it’s just BORING.”

Expressions of frustration included remarks like,

“Skit that totally falls flat. That’s 2 mins I’m not going to get back.”

Questions Arise About the Authenticity of the Viral Clip

Many fans viewed the clip’s two-minute runtime as an uncomfortable spectacle, with some condemning it as a “humiliation ritual.” One critic remarked,

“Americans should stop trying to do dry humour… This is excruciatingly bad and not funny in the slightest.”

Others simply called it the “lamest ‘bit’ ever” and complained it dragged on too long.

Eva Mendes originally posted the video on her Instagram with the caption,

“Happy PALentine’s Day to @mikeyfuntime and all the other bro homies out there!”

Since then, the clip has been reshared by the official Project Hail Mary accounts, highlighting its dual purpose as a promotion for both Gosling’s SNL hosting and his upcoming sci-fi film.

Insight Into Project Hail Mary and Gosling’s Role

Project Hail Mary is based on the 2021 bestselling novel by Andy Weir, known for The Martian. Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a junior high school teacher turned astronaut, who embarks on a mission to save humanity from an extinction-level threat caused by a mysterious substance.

Speculation Grows About Whether the Call Was Scripted or Spontaneous

Online debate continues over the nature of the call, with some users suggesting it was a completely staged event. One viewer wrote,

“If you think two actors who recorded their FaceTime call and then posted it is a raw leak and not completely scripted then idk.”

Despite the skepticism and sharp reaction, the clip remains widely viewed, drawing attention to both Gosling’s upcoming SNL episode and the release of Project Hail Mary on March 20.

https://twitter.com/BrookeVibse/status/2029810737393324274

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Roland Hannah
Roland Hannah