Here’s How Ryan Gosling Just Showed His Softer Hey Girl Side

Ryan Gosling may be known for playing tough, stoic characters in films like Drive, The Place Beyond the Pines, and in the just released Blade Runner 2049, but when he talks about his beloved pup George, he’s a big old softie.

Gosling stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday and spoke fondly of his dog, who passed away in December at the age of 17. “George, as he started to age, started to look like an aging rock star,” Gosling told host Ellen DeGeneres on the show. “He was sorta skinny-fat and he had big hair and, you know, no teeth, open sores, but still sexy.”

Gosling now wears George’s dog tags around his own neck, and clearly misses the pup who traveled almost everywhere with him, and was a fixture on many of his film sets.

“He was a good friend to me,” the star told DeGeneres about his long-time pet. Gosling also shared photos of his dog, although he admitted to not being sure that calling George a dog did him justice. “It’s funny to say ‘dog’ because I feel like there was something about George where he always, I think he felt like he felt being a dog was beneath him, you know? He would not do tricks. If you wanted him even to sit down, you had to sort of convince him it was in his best interest.”

Watch the full clip below.