New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Final Four Picks & Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary, Diva Puppets & Being a Liability at DB | Ep 183

March 18, 2026

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  • The hosts and guest Ryan Gosling praised Conan O'Brien's hosting of the Oscars and the animated short film 'The Girl That Cries Pearls,' which featured puppet work. 
  • The hosts kicked off their annual New Heights x Reese's March Madness Bracket Challenge, humorously making their Final Four picks with minimal knowledge of the current college basketball season. 
  • Ryan Gosling discussed the optimistic, scientifically grounded nature of his new film *Project Hail Mary*, his positive experiences working with the puppet character Rocky (who had an entourage of five puppeteers), and shared anecdotes about Harrison Ford's eccentric behavior. 

Segments

Show Intro and Sponsor Plug
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(00:00:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode of New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce is brought to listeners with limited interruptions by Reese’s.
  • Summary: The hosts welcomed listeners to the episode, sponsored by Reese’s, and introduced the main segments. They highlighted the upcoming March Madness bracketology discussion and the interview with Ryan Gosling. Listeners were reminded to subscribe on YouTube and follow the show on social media.
Oscars Recap and Conan Praise
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(00:01:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Conan O’Brien was lauded as the best Oscars host of all time following his performance, which included a humorous bit involving Sean Penn.
  • Summary: The hosts praised Conan O’Brien’s performance hosting the Oscars, noting that Disney/ABC essentially gave him a permanent invitation to host. They specifically enjoyed the full-circle moment at the end involving Conan and Sean Penn. Jason also mentioned watching the Best Animated Short Film, ‘The Girl That Cries Pearls,’ which he described as an incredibly artistic puppet movie.
TGL Golf Competition Tease
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(00:03:10)
  • Key Takeaway: An outtake from the TGL simulator competition between Jason and Travis Kelce will be released on Monday, March 23rd.
  • Summary: Jason teased an upcoming outtake from a TGL simulator competition where he felt he was competitive with Travis in golf for the first time. Travis jokingly blamed everyone else for not knowing about the competition beforehand, claiming he missed the email notification.
Book Pre-Order and St. Patrick’s Day
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(00:04:19)
  • Key Takeaway: The book ‘No Dumb Questions’ releases on June 2nd, and pre-ordering from any retailer grants listeners an exclusive sticker pack.
  • Summary: The hosts promoted pre-orders for their book, ‘No Dumb Questions,’ which drops June 2nd, noting that proof of pre-order secures a sticker pack. They celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, with Travis mentioning he planned to have a Guinness later, contrasting his current moderation with his college days.
March Madness Final Four Picks
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(00:06:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Both hosts made their Final Four picks for the New Heights x Reese’s bracket challenge based on minimal current college basketball knowledge, relying on established coaches and teams.
  • Summary: The segment focused on revealing their Final Four picks for the bracket challenge, admitting they had watched very little college basketball this season. Travis picked Michigan State (for Izzo), Duke, Houston, and Iowa State, while Jason picked Duke, Michigan State, Alabama, and Illinois. They agreed to let the audience decide a punishment for the last-place finisher.
Reese’s Busted Bracket Sweepstakes Ad
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(00:11:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Reese’s is running a sweepstakes where posting a busted bracket with the hashtag #ForAReesesSweeps offers a chance to win free Reese’s and tickets to the Men’s or Women’s Final Four games.
  • Summary: The presenting sponsor Reese’s detailed their March Madness promotion where a busted bracket can lead to prizes. Participants must post their busted bracket, tag @reeses, and use the hashtag #ForAReesesSweeps. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18+ and ends March 27th, 2026.
Interview Introduction and Liability Joke
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(00:18:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Gosling, promoting Project Hail Mary, was introduced as a three-time Academy Award nominee and four-time SNL host, immediately referencing the ’liability at DB’ joke from Remember the Titans.
  • Summary: The hosts introduced Ryan Gosling, listing his acting accolades and noting his role in Project Hail Mary. Gosling acknowledged the running joke about him being a ’liability at the corner’ from Remember the Titans, stating he constantly hears about it despite his career achievements.
Project Hail Mary Praise and Optimism
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(00:19:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Gosling emphasized that Project Hail Mary succeeds because it honors Andy Weir’s book by celebrating human capability to solve impossible problems, offering necessary optimism against bleak apocalyptic narratives.
  • Summary: Gosling expressed gratitude for making the film, noting the source material was already stress-tested as one of the best science fiction books. He highlighted director Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s unique ability to blend humor and emotion, making the film feel like a relationship rather than just special effects.
Rocky Puppet Magic and Entourage
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(00:26:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The character Rocky in Project Hail Mary was realized using a physical puppet operated by five puppeteers, allowing for real-time improvisation with Gosling.
  • Summary: Gosling explained that they avoided CGI for Rocky, instead using a physical puppet with an entourage of five puppeteers, whom they called ‘The Rocketeers.’ This physical presence allowed Gosling to improvise scenes, making the relationship feel genuine, which resonated strongly with his children.
Alien Beliefs and Space Travel
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(00:29:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Gosling believes the conversation about aliens has shifted from ‘are they out there’ to ‘where are they,’ and he has no personal interest in traveling to space, unlike Travis.
  • Summary: Gosling noted that scientifically advanced aliens would likely not crash on Earth, and Andy Weir’s work in the film grounds the concept of extraterrestrial life in scientific possibility. While Travis wants to visit the moon, Gosling prefers to stay grounded, though he admitted to having Star Wars sheets as a child.
Harrison Ford Anecdotes
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(00:38:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Harrison Ford is described as a ’lunatic’ hero who once stapled his hat to his head during a Raiders of the Lost Ark scene and casually consumed an entire bottle of Advil as a joke.
  • Summary: Gosling shared stories illustrating Harrison Ford’s legendary, unconventional nature, including Ford punching him in a scene and then icing his own fist, and later consuming 15 Advil tablets in one go. Another story detailed Ford demanding a stapler to secure his hat to his head during a horse-riding scene rather than using tape.
Childhood Trouble and Taco Bell Inflation
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(00:40:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Gosling admitted to being suspended from first grade for bringing steak knives to recess, while Travis confessed to being expelled from preschool for stabbing a kid with a spork.
  • Summary: Gosling confirmed getting in trouble for bringing steak knives, though he claimed he only stuck them in the ground, not at kids. Travis countered with his own childhood incident involving a spork, which broke skin. Gosling was surprised to learn he was being called the unofficial face of Taco Bell inflation.
Star Wars Film Confirmation
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(00:35:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Gosling confirmed he just finished filming a new Star Wars movie directed by James Mangold, which will feature original characters set in its own timeline.
  • Summary: Gosling revealed he completed filming a Star Wars movie set for release next year, directed by James Mangold (who also directed Deadpool & Wolverine). He noted that the film exists outside the main timeline and features entirely original characters.
Music Career Origins
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(00:45:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Gosling’s early foray into music, including singing at weddings with his sister, stemmed from his uncle’s intense period as an Elvis impersonator, which kept life from becoming ’normal.'
  • Summary: Gosling recounted how his uncle’s commitment to method-acting as Elvis—complete with a bedazzled jumpsuit—created an exciting atmosphere in their home. When the Elvis phase ended, Gosling and his sister started singing at weddings to maintain that non-normal, circus-like vibe, which eventually led him toward acting.