(Cover) - EN Movies - Ryan Gosling knew that director Nicolas Winding Refn would prevent Drive from becoming a "clich".

The 30-year-old actor plays a character simply known as Driver in the action drama which scooped Nicolas a best director gong at the recent Cannes International Film Festival.

Ryan has spoken about helping producers choose the right person to helm the picture, explaining that he knew Nicolas was the man for the job.

"I thought of Nicolas Winding Refn because we needed someone who dares to do thing differently. He's this crazy guy whose mom always told him as a child that he was a genius, and he ended up believing it was true!" laughed Ryan in an interview with French publication Les Inrocks.

"I didn't want the movie to like any other action movie, to be a clich. So, I needed somebody special in order to make the movie special."

The picture follows a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman, and Ryan has praised Nicolas for his unautocratic approach to moviemaking. He confessed the first time they met to discuss the movie was rather awkward though.

"Nicolas seemed totally bored, wouldn't look at me, I wanted to leave, he wanted to leave and he asked me to drive him home," explained Ryan.

"I played this song to break the silence, and suddenly Nicolas started to hum it and he cried, saying, I know what this movie is about: a guy who listens to pop music in his car at night.'

"But at the end of the day he did trust us and gave us the freedom to make the movie we wanted to make." (C) Cover Media