In a fun press segment during a promotional run for Beef, actress Carey Mulligan addressed a long-standing question about her role in Drive. Notably, Oscar Isaac, who plays Mulligan’s husband in the film, was also part of the session and asked her questions. Mulligan revealed under a lie detector test whether her character’s connection with Ryan Gosling’s unnamed driver in the film could have turned into something serious.
Mulligan revealed that she liked having an “affair” with Gosling’s character in Drive
Doing the lie detector test segment for Vanity Fair, Oscar Isaac asked Carey Mulligan some interesting questions. The actor asked whether Mulligan was “upset” about playing his wife instead of Ryan Gosling’s. Even though she admitted that she was happy to play his wife, she also joked that she liked having an “affair” with Gosling’s character.
“I was very happy to play your wife,” she said, and after sharing a side glance with the lie detector operator, she further added, “And have an affair with Ryan Gosling.” Mulligan’s reaction emphasized she was happy with the story as written and had no regrets about the dynamic her character shared with Isaac’s and Gosling’s characters.
Mulligan played Irene, whose character is married to Standard, Oscar Isaac’s character. The emotional tension came from her growing connection with Gosling’s unnamed driver, who was also her neighbor. The potential attraction between the two characters was subtextual, and it defined the tone of the film.
However, the fun session didn’t end there, as the Dune star teased her with another question: “Are you still supportive of Ryan’s career?” to which Mulligan replied, “Yes,” while failing to contain her laughter. However, she admitted that she hasn’t watched Gosling’s latest film, Project Hail Mary, yet, which hit theatres on March 20, 2026.
Then, Isaac followed up with another question, “Since this is our third project together, are you supportive of my work, and have you seen all of my projects?” The actress replied that she is supportive of his work but hasn’t seen all his movies.
It was indeed a playful lie detector session to see which actor she fancied more between Gosling and Isaac, and whose work she closely followed. Safe to say, she was thoroughly amused by the line of questioning and hinted at the fact that she liked the tension her character carried in Ryan Gosling’s presence in the film.
Did you like the chemistry between Carey Mulligan and Ryan Gosling in Drive? Let us know in the comments section below.
