On May 20th, Ryan Gosling will give the world a rare comedic performance in the 70s era crime caper The Nice Guys. But if it wasn't for one particular cult movie, he may have never taken on the role. In a recent interview with EW, the actor confessed a love for two 80s classics, both of which convinced Gosling that The Nice Guys was a project he wanted to be involved with.

Nominated in 2007 for a Best Actor Oscar in the drama Half Nelson, Ryan Gosling has a reputation for being a little too serious. As does his Nice Guys co-star Russell Crowe. Their recent on-screen partnership shows the duo in a whole new hilarious light, as they bring director Shane Black's script crackling to life. And it was actually an early script of Black's that greatly influenced Gosling at a young age. Yes, the actor has professed his love for The Monster Squad. And without it, he might not have been so eager to climb aboard the roller coaster ride that is The Nice Guys.

Gosling has long had a desire to work with Shane Black, who wrote such seminal action hits as Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and Last Action Hero. Though working in Hollywood since the 80s, Black didn't make his directorial debut until 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which he also wrote. He then went onto blockbuster success directing Iron Man 3. The Nice Guys once again teams Black up with legendary producer Joel Silver, who was also on Ryan Gosling's bucket list of people he wants to work with before he dies.

While Shane Black's Monster Squad remained fixed in Gosling's brain, he was also enamored with one of Joel Silver's few on-screen appearances at an early age, with the producer playing a screaming director in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? It was this combination of talent behind the scenes on The Nice Guys that made it such a no-brainer for Gosling. He says this.

"The script [for The Nice Guys] was one of the funniest things I've ever read. And then, obviously, [there was] Russell, who is an acting hero of everyone in my generation. But Joel and Shane just creeped their way into my subconsciousness at a very young age. Between Joel being the screaming director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Shane writing Monster Squad, they made a big impression in my early film life."

The Nice Guys is set in 1970s Los Angeles. Down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power. You can watch the most recent trailer for The Nice Guys along with the original Monster Squad trailer, and see just how far Shane Black has come.