Ryan Gosling was prepared to 'defend' Oscar-nominated film 'La La Land'

— -- The massive success of "La La Land" wasn't something everyone expected —- including one of its stars. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Gosling said he was surprised by the acclaim it immediately received.

"I'm not kidding when I say I thought we'd really have to defend this film," Gosling told The Hollywood Reporter. "This has been a nice turn of events."

"La La Land" is nominated for a whopping 14 Academy Awards, tying "All About Eve" and "Titanic" for most nominations ever received. Among the musical's many nominations, Gosling and co-star Emma Stone are both nominated for their leading roles and director Damien Chazelle is also up for Best Director.

Gosling said his personal feelings about films he's worked on haven't always lined up with public perception, so "La La Land" is a welcome change.

"I've loved and been proud of films before that, for whatever reason, weren't met with a mutual reception," he said. "Maybe it was the wrong time, or the film was released in the wrong way, or I'm just delusional. It was a win to be able to make 'La La Land' and to make it the way we wanted. That was enough. The fact that audiences have received it the way they have was more than enough."