Anthony Mackie reveals how Ryan Gosling's best movies, Half Nelson earned him an Academy Award nomination.

While sharing a memory from every movie he has ever been in with Entertainment Weekly, Mackie explained how Gosling improvised picking up a stray, sickly-looking cat during their scene in Half Nelson. Mackie warned Gosling against picking up the cat, but this warning was not heeded. The scene in question happens when Dan tries to confront Frank and tells him to stop spending time with Drey, which leads to Frank inviting Dan into his home. Check out Mackie's comments below:

A cat comes over. Nobody knew where this cat was from. Nobody checked this cat. No one vasectomized this cat. Like, where's this cat from? Ryan picks up the cat, nuzzles it, starts rubbing the cat, and I'm like, "Yo, you're going to catch something!" That cat was nasty. It was mangy. It looked like a creature in the "Thriller" video with Michael Jackson. That's how it was walking. He picked that up, man! That boy is wild. True story.

What This Means For Half Nelson

Ryan Gosling's Improvisation Served The Movie Well

Gosling's improvisation is a small touch and makes for a humorous behind-the-scenes story, but it also enhances the scene between Dan and Frank. Dan is a struggling individual who is shown to have considerable comion for others while making many questionable decisions. These elements of his character are perfectly encapsulated by his decision to pick up a sickly-looking cat without thinking about any potential consequences. Dan is shown to have a cat earlier in the movie, so him being a cat person makes sense as well.

The situation is also a microcosm of Dan and Frank's fundamental disagreement about what is best for Drey, although she ultimately uses her own agency to decide what is best for her.

Half Nelson is also one of Anthony Mackie's best movies, and he adds to Gosling's improvisation with Frank saying, "Don't touch that cat" and telling him to "put that cat down." Based on Mackie's comments, his feelings align perfectly with how Frank reacts to Dan picking up the cat. The situation is also a microcosm of Dan and Frank's fundamental disagreement about what is best for Drey, although she ultimately uses her own agency to decide what is best for her.

Our Take On Anthony Mackie's Comments

The Cat Briefly Steals The Show

While Half Nelson is not a cat movie, Gosling's improvised cat moment works well for the story and makes the scene between Dan and Frank even better. Gosling's interest in holding the cat and Mackie's concern about getting close to the animal conveniently translate well for their respective characters. Regardless of Mackie's feelings, the cat got a chance to have a memorable cameo in a well-received movie with a 91% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and to briefly steal the show in Half Nelson.

Source: EW