Ryan Gosling

Template:Short description Template:Pp-blp Template:Good article Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Ryan Thomas Gosling (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. His work includes both independent films and major studio features, and his accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two British Academy Film Awards.

Gosling began his acting career when he was 13 on Disney Channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1993–1995), and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs, including Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995) and Goosebumps (1996). His breakthrough role was that of a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer (2001), and he gained stardom in the 2004 romantic drama The Notebook. He starred in the critically acclaimed independent dramas Half Nelson (2006), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor; Lars and the Real Girl (2007); and Blue Valentine (2010).

In 2011, Gosling had three mainstream successes in the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, the political drama The Ides of March, and the action thriller Drive. After making his directorial debut with Lost River (2014), he starred in the financial satire The Big Short (2015), the action comedy The Nice Guys (2016), and the romantic musical La La Land (2016). The latter won him a Golden Globe and a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Further acclaim followed with the science fiction film Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and the biopic First Man (2018). He played Ken in the fantasy comedy Barbie (2023), which emerged as his highest-grossing release and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Gosling's band, Dead Man's Bones, released their self-titled debut album and toured North America in 2009. He is a co-owner of Tagine, a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. Gosling is a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Invisible Children, and the Enough Project and has traveled to Chad, Uganda and eastern Congo to raise awareness about conflicts in the regions. He has been involved in peace promotion efforts in Africa for over a decade.

Early life

Ryan Thomas Gosling was born on November 12, 1980, at St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> to Thomas Ray Gosling, a travelling salesman for a paper mill,<ref name=autogenerated4>Template:Cite news</ref> and Donna, a secretary.<ref name=paper /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both of his parents are of part French Canadian descent, along with some German, English, Scottish, and Irish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He and his family were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Gosling has said that the religion influenced every aspect of their lives.<ref name="guardian 2007-02-18">Template:Cite news</ref> Because of his father's work, they "moved around a lot"<ref name=autogenerated4 /> and Gosling lived in both Cornwall, Ontario,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Burlington, Ontario.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His parents divorced when he was 13,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and he and his older sister Mandi lived with their mother,<ref name="paper">Template:Cite magazine</ref> an experience Gosling has credited with programming him "to think like a girl".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gosling was educated at Gladstone Public School,<ref>"Disney Gets First Canadian Mouseketeer". The Gazette. March 24, 1993.</ref> Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School and Lester B. Pearson High School.<ref>"The Children's Champion, The Oscar-Nominated Actor, a Star by His Teens, Is Taking Up the Cause of Ugandan Boy Soldiers". The Independent. April 22, 2007.</ref> As a child, he watched Dick Tracy and was inspired to become an actor.<ref name="independent uk 2013"/> He "hated" being a child,<ref name="guardian 2007-02-18"/><ref name=autogenerated2>Template:Cite web</ref> was bullied in elementary school,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and had no friends until he was "14 or 15".<ref>GQ. January 2011. p. 50.</ref><ref name="thetimes1">Template:Cite news</ref> In school he was always picking fights to impress girls.<ref name=":0" /> In grade one, having been heavily influenced by the action film First Blood, he took steak knives to school and threw them at other children during recess. This incident led to a suspension.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> He was unable to read,<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and was evaluated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but was not diagnosed with it and, contrary to false reports, never took medication.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His mother left her job and home-schooled him for a year.<ref name="independent2007">Template:Cite news</ref> He has said homeschooling gave him "a sense of autonomy that I've never really lost".<ref name="guardian 2007-02-18"/> Gosling performed in front of audiences from an early age, encouraged by his sister being a performer.<ref name="about2004"/> He and his sister sang together at weddings; he performed with Elvis Perry, his uncle's Elvis Presley tribute act,<ref name="INTERVIEWMAGAZINE">Template:Cite web</ref> and was involved with a local ballet company.<ref name="independent1">Template:Cite news</ref> Performing boosted his self-confidence as it was the only thing for which he received praise.<ref name="thetimes1"/> He developed an idiosyncratic accent because, as a child, he thought having a Canadian accent did not sound "tough". He began to model his accent on that of Marlon Brando.<ref>W. October 2010. p. 89.</ref> Gosling dropped out of high school at age 17 to focus on his acting career.<ref name="people1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Acting career

1993–1999: Career beginnings

In 1993, 12-year-old Gosling attended an open audition in Montreal for Disney Channel's revival of The Mickey Mouse Club.<ref name="about2004">Template:Cite web</ref> After he successfully auditioned, he was given a two-year contract as a Mouseketeer and subsequently moved to Orlando, Florida to film the show.<ref name="people1"/> He has said he appeared on-screen infrequently because other children were considered more talented.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nonetheless, he has described the job as the greatest two years of his life.<ref name="people1"/> Fellow cast members on the show included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell, and JC Chasez. Gosling has credited the experience with instilling in him "this great sense of focus."<ref name="Angelfire">Template:Cite web</ref> He was specifically close friends with Timberlake because they lived together for six months during the second year of the show. Timberlake's mother became Gosling's legal guardian after his own mother had to return to Canada for work reasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling has said that even though he and Timberlake talk infrequently, they are still supportive of each other.<ref name="Angelfire"/>

After the show ended in 1995, Gosling returned to Canada, where he continued to appear in family entertainment television series, including Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995)<ref name="totalfilm">Template:Cite web</ref> and Goosebumps (1996),<ref name="totalfilm"/> and starred in Breaker High (1997–98) as Sean Hanlon.<ref name="totalfilm"/> When he was 18, he moved to New Zealand to film the Fox Kids adventure series Young Hercules (1998–1999) as the title character.<ref name="totalfilm"/> He later said that he initially enjoyed working on the series, but began to care too much about the show, so it was no longer fun for him. He wanted to spend more time sitting with and devising a character as well as play a variety of roles, so he chose to transition into film and not accept any more television work.<ref name="people1"/>

2000–2003: Independent films

Aged 19, Gosling decided to move into "serious acting". He was dropped by his agent and initially found it difficult to secure work because of the "stigma" attached to children's television.<ref name="nytimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref> After a supporting role in the football drama Remember the Titans, he secured a lead role as a young Jewish neo-Nazi in 2001's The Believer. Director Henry Bean said he cast Gosling because his Mormon upbringing helped him understand the isolation of Judaism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised an "electrifying and terrifyingly convincing" performance<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Todd McCarthy of Variety felt his "dynamite performance" could "scarcely have been better".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Gosling has described it as "the film that kind of gift-wrapped for me the career that I have now."<ref name="INTERVIEWMAGAZINE"/> Because of the controversial nature of the film, it was difficult to secure financial backing for a full theatrical release,<ref name="autogenerated2002">Camhi, Leslie (March 17, 2002). "In a Skinhead's Tale, a Picture of Both Hate and Love". The New York Times.</ref> and the film was instead broadcast on Showtime.<ref name="autogenerated2002"/> The film was a commercial failure, grossing $416,925 worldwide from a production budget of $1.5 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2002, Gosling co-starred in the psychological thriller Murder by Numbers with Sandra Bullock and Michael Pitt,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where Gosling and Pitt portrayed a pair of high school seniors who believe they can commit the perfect murder. Bullock played the detective tasked with investigating the crime. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly described him as "a phenomenal talent even in junk like this"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Todd McCarthy felt that the "strong and "charismatic" young actors were "let down by the screenplay".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was a minor commercial success, grossing $56 million worldwide from a production budget of $50 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His second screen appearance of 2002 was in The Slaughter Rule with David Morse which explores the relationship between a high school football player and his troubled coach in rural Montana. Gosling has said that the opportunity to work with Morse made him "a better actor".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stephen Holden of The New York Times described Gosling as "major star material" with a "rawness and an intensity that recall the young Matt Dillon"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Manohla Dargis of the Los Angeles Times was won over by his "raw talent".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was released in just three US theatres and grossed $13,411.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, Gosling starred in The United States of Leland as a teenager imprisoned for the murder of a disabled boy. He was drawn to the role because it was unusual to find a character that was "emotionally disconnected for the whole film."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Critic Roger Ebert felt that the "gifted actor does everything that can be done with Leland, but the character comes from a writer's conceits, not from life."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A. O. Scott of The New York Times noted that he "struggles to rescue Leland from the clutches of cliché"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while David Rooney of Variety felt that his "one-note, blankly disturbed act has none of the magnetic edge of his breakthrough work in The Believer".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed $343,847 in the United States and was not released overseas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2004–2009: The Notebook and Half Nelson

Gosling gained mainstream attention in 2004 after starring opposite fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams in the romantic drama film The Notebook, a film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, directed by Nick Cassavetes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling played Noah Calhoun and commented on the role: "It gave me an opportunity to play a character over a period of time – from 1940 to 1946 – that was quite profound and formative."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He sought to imbue his character with "quiet strength" and was inspired by Sam Shepard's performance in Days of Heaven. Shepard co-starred in The Notebook.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Filming took place in Charleston, South Carolina, in late 2002 and early 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although Gosling and McAdams became romantically involved in 2005, they had a combative relationship on the set.<ref name="independent">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="notebook combative">Template:Cite web</ref> "We inspired the worst in each other," Gosling has said. "It was a strange experience, making a love story and not getting along with your co-star in any way."<ref name="guardian 2007-02-18"/> At one point, Gosling asked Cassavetes to "bring somebody else in for my off-camera shot" because he felt McAdams was uncooperative.<ref name="notebook combative" /> The New York Times praised the "spontaneous and combustible" performances of the two leads and noted that, "against your better judgment, you root for the pair to beat the odds against them."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised Gosling's "beguiling unaffectedness" and noted that "it's hard not to like these two or begrudge them a great love together".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed over $115 million worldwide.<ref name="boxofficemojo">Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling won four Teen Choice Awards<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and an MTV Movie Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Entertainment Weekly has said that the movie contains the All-Time Best Movie Kiss<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while the Los Angeles Times has included a scene from the film in a list of the 50 Classic Movie Kisses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Notebook has appeared on many Most Romantic Movies lists.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gosling at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2005, Gosling appeared as a disturbed young art student in Stay, a psychological thriller film co-starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. In an uncomplimentary review of the film, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times stated that Gosling "like his fans, deserves better."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Todd McCarthy remarked that the "capable" Gosling and McGregor "deliver nothing new from what they've shown before".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed $8 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling was unfazed by the negative reaction: "I had a kid come up to me on the street, 10 years old, and he says, 'Are you that guy from Stay? What the f--- was that movie about?' I think that's great. I'm just as proud if someone says, 'Hey, you made me sick in that movie,' as if they say I made them cry."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling next starred in 2006's Half Nelson as a drug-addicted junior high school teacher who forms a bond with a young student. To prepare for the role, Gosling moved to New York for one month before shooting began. He lived in a small apartment in Brooklyn and spent time shadowing an eighth grade teacher.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a mesmerizing performance ... that shows the kind of deep understanding of character few actors manage."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle drew comparisons with Marlon Brando and asserted that "nobody who cares about great acting will want to miss his performance".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Roger Ebert believed that his performance "proves he's one of the finest actors working in contemporary movies."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gosling garnered a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> The film grossed $4 million at the worldwide box office.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling played an introvert who falls for a sex doll in the 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl. He drew inspiration from James Stewart's performance in Harvey.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Roger Ebert felt "a film about a life-sized love doll" had been turned into "a life-affirming statement of hope" because of "a performance by Ryan Gosling that says things that cannot be said".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post described his performance as "a small miracle ... because he changes and grows so imperceptibly before our eyes."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times felt "the performance is a rare miscalculation in a mostly brilliant career."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film was a box office failure, failing to recoup its $12 million production budget.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 2007 courtroom thriller Fracture. He originally turned down the role, but changed his mind when Hopkins signed on.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> Gosling noted that he was drawn to his character, Willie, because he had flaws and seemed like a real person.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He spent time shadowing lawyers and observing courtroom proceedings in preparation for the role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Claudia Puig of USA Today declared that "watching a veteran like Hopkins verbally joust with one of the best young actors in Hollywood is worth the price of admission".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Manohla Dargis of The New York Times felt it was a treat to watch "the spectacle of that crafty scene stealer Anthony Hopkins mixing it up with that equally cunning screen nibbler Ryan Gosling ... Each actor is playing a pulp type rather than a fully formed individual, but both fill in the blanks with an alchemical mix of professional and personal charisma."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed over $91 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling was scheduled to begin filming The Lovely Bones in 2007. However, he left the production two days before filming began because of "creative differences" and was replaced by Mark Wahlberg.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gosling was cast as the father of the murdered teenage girl and initially felt he was too young for the role. The director Peter Jackson and the producer Fran Walsh persuaded him that he could be aged with hair and make-up changes.<ref name="bordelon1">Template:Cite news</ref> Before shooting began, Gosling gained 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in weight and grew a beard to appear older.<ref name="bordelon1"/> Walsh then "began to feel he was not right. It was our blindness, the desire to make it work no matter what."<ref name="bordelon1"/> Gosling later said, "We didn't talk very much during the preproduction process, which was the problem ... I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed."<ref name="bordelon1"/> He has said the experience was "an important realisation for me: not to let your ego get involved. It's OK to be too young for a role."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2010–2012: Widespread recognition

Following a three-year absence from the screen, Gosling starred in five films in 2010 and 2011. "I've never had more energy," Gosling said. "I'm more excited to make films than I used to be. I used to kind of dread it. It was so emotional and taxing. But I've found a way to have fun while doing it. And I think that translates into the films."<ref name="nytimes.com"/> He has also spoken of feeling depressed when not working.<ref name="thetimes1"/> In 2010, he starred opposite Michelle Williams in Derek Cianfrance's directorial debut, the marital drama Blue Valentine. The low-budget film was mainly improvised and Gosling has said "you had to remind yourself you were making a film".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle felt he "brings a preternatural understanding of people to his performance"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while A.O. Scott of The New York Times found him to be "convincing as the run-down, desperate, older Dean, and maybe a bit less so as the younger version".<ref name="movies.nytimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref> Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that he "plays Dean as a snarky working-class hipster, but when his anger is unleashed, the performance turns powerful."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> However, Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe felt the performance was an example of "hipsterism misdirected".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was a box office success, grossing over $12 million worldwide from a production budget of $1 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling's second on-screen appearance of 2010 was in the mystery film All Good Things with Kirsten Dunst, based on a true story. He played the role of New York real-estate heir David Marks, who was investigated for the disappearance of his wife (played by Dunst).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling found the filming process to be a "dark experience" and did not undertake any promotional duties for the film.<ref name="latimes1">Template:Cite news</ref> When asked if he was proud of the film, he said, "I'm proud of what Kirsten does in the movie."<ref name="latimes1"/> Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that he "gets so deep into character you can feel his nerve endings."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle found the "chameleonic Gosling is completely convincing as this empty shell of a man".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times felt that the film belonged to Dunst, but praised Gosling's performance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film grossed $644,535 worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2010, Gosling narrated and produced ReGeneration, a documentary that explores the cynicism in today's youth towards social and political causes.<ref name="hollywoodnews1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling in 2011

2011 saw Gosling expand his horizons by appearing in three diverse, high-profile roles. He co-starred in his first comedic role in the romantic comedy-drama Crazy, Stupid, Love, with Steve Carell and Emma Stone.<ref name="The Playlist: Steve Carell's 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' Hits Theaters April 22, 2011">Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling took cocktail-making classes at a Los Angeles bar in preparation for his role as a smooth-talking ladies' man.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said his "seductive command presence suggests we may have found our next George Clooney".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Peter Travers declared him "a comic knockout"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Claudia Puig of USA Today felt he reveals a "surprising" "knack for comedy."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.<ref name="slate1">Template:Cite web</ref> The film was a box office success, grossing over $142 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With adjustments for inflation, it is the fourth most successful of Gosling's career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling's first action role was in Drive, based on a novel by James Sallis.<ref name="Production Starts on Nicolas Winding Refn's DRIVE Starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan">Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling played a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a getaway driver, and he has described the film as a "violent John Hughes movie": "I always thought if Pretty in Pink had head-smashing it would be perfect".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roger Ebert compared Gosling to Steve McQueen and stated that he "embodies presence and sincerity ... he has shown a gift for finding arresting, powerful characters [and] can achieve just about anything.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal pondered "the ongoing mystery of how he manages to have so much impact with so little apparent effort. It's irresistible to liken his economical style to that of Marlon Brando."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film was a box office success, grossing $81 million worldwide from a production budget of $15 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In his final appearance of 2011, Gosling co-starred with Philip Seymour Hoffman in the political drama The Ides of March directed by George Clooney, in which he played an ambitious press secretary.<ref name="George Clooney and Ryan Gosling Set for Ides of March">Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling partly decided to do the film to become more politically aware: "I'm Canadian and so American politics aren't really in my wheelhouse."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Joe Morganstern stated that Gosling and Hoffman "are eminently well equipped to play variations on their characters' main themes. Yet neither actor has great material to conjure with in the script."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a generally tepid review, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times asserted that it was "certainly involving to see the charismatic Gosling verbally spar with superb character actors like Hoffman and [Paul] Giamatti."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle felt there was "one aspect to the character that Gosling can't quite nail down, that might simply be outside his sphere, which is idealism."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.<ref name="slate1"/> The film grossed $66 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Gosling filmed Terrence Malick's Song to Song, but the film would not be released until 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2013–2014: Mixed critical reception and directorial debut

Gosling at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

In 2013's crime thriller Gangster Squad, Gosling portrayed Sgt. Jerry Wooters, a 1940s LAPD officer who attempts to outsmart mob boss Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn). He was reunited with Emma Stone as his love interest, after their earlier pairing in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Stone has said she hopes they will find more projects to work together on.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A.O. Scott of The New York Times described the film as an excuse for the cast "to earn some money trying out funny voices and suppressing whatever sense of nuance they might possess."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Christy Lemire of The Boston Globe criticized Gosling's "weird, whispery voice" and his "barely developed, one-note" character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times felt that there was "a seductive power" in the scenes shared by Gosling and Stone: "But like too much else in the film, it's a scenario that is only half played out."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In The Place Beyond the Pines, a generational drama directed by Blue ValentineTemplate:'s Derek Cianfrance,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling played Luke, a motorcycle stunt rider who robs banks to provide for his family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The shoot was described by Gosling as "the best experience I have ever had making a film."<ref name="independent1" /> A. O. Scott of The New York Times praised his performance, writing: "Mr. Gosling's cool self-possession — the only thing he was allowed to display in "Drive" — is complicated, made interesting, by hints of childlike innocence and vulnerability."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Scott Foundas of The Village Voice was unimpressed: "Gosling's character verges on parody ... Gosling uses a soft, wounded half-whisper that tells us this is all some kind of put-on ... It's a close variation on the role Gosling played to stronger effect in Nicolas Winding Refn's existential Hollywood thriller, Drive, where it was clear the character was meant to be an abstraction."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> David Denby of The New Yorker remarked that he "reprises his inexorable-loner routine".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The film grossed $35 million worldwide from a production budget of $15 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Later in 2013, Gosling starred in the violent revenge drama Only God Forgives,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> directed by DriveTemplate:'s Nicolas Winding Refn. Gosling undertook Muay Thai training in preparation for the role,<ref name="blogs.indiewire.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and has described the script as "the strangest thing I've ever read".<ref name="blogs.indiewire.com" /> Both the film and his performance drew negative reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> David Edelstein of New York magazine stated, "Gosling looked like a major actor as a skinhead in The Believer and a star in Half Nelson. Then he stopped acting and started posing. His performance in Only God Forgives (would God forgive that title?) is one long, moist stare".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Stephen Holden of the New York Times criticized Gosling's inability "to give his automaton any suggestion of an inner life".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Peter Travers of Rolling Stone commented that Gosling, while "meant to be a blank page for us to write on, often looks merely blank".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In early 2013, Gosling announced that he was taking a break from acting, stating, "I've lost perspective on what I'm doing. I think it's good for me to take a break and reassess why I'm doing it and how I'm doing it. And I think this is probably a good way to learn about that."<ref name="RG">Template:Cite web</ref> Gosling's directorial debut Lost River competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The "fantasy noir", written by Gosling, stars Christina Hendricks, Ben Mendelsohn, and Matt Smith.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film received largely unfavorable reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian found it "insufferably conceited" and remarked that Gosling had lost "any sense of proportion or humility."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph described Lost River as "mind-bogglingly pleased with itself",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while VarietyTemplate:'s Justin Chang dismissed the "derivative" film as a "train-wreck."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2015–present: Established actor

Gosling at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2015, Gosling played a bond salesman in the ensemble financial satire The Big Short, a Best Picture nominee at the 2016 Academy Awards. David Sims of The Atlantic felt that he was "smarmily funny, somehow simultaneously magnetic and repulsive; after years wandering the halls of mediocre art cinema, it's wonderful to see him cut loose again."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said: "Gosling, a virtuoso of verbal sleaze, talks directly to the camera, and he's volcanically fierce and funny."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The following year, Gosling starred in the black comedy The Nice Guys, opposite Russell Crowe,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and in Damien Chazelle's musical La La Land, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and received his second Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.<ref name="2017Globes">Template:Citation</ref> Robbie Collin praised his chemistry with co-star Emma Stone, writing: "Both stars are so attuned to each other's pace and flow that their repartee just seems to tumble out, perfectly formed."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It emerged as one of his most commercially successful films, with earnings of over $440 million against its $30 million budget.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling was signed on to work with Terrence Malick in 2004 on the biographical film Che, but later dropped out.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later starred in Malick's Song to Song (2017), which had been filmed in 2012, and co-starred Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender, and Natalie Portman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2017, he starred in Blade Runner 2049, a sequel to the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner, directed by Denis Villeneuve and co-starring Harrison Ford, who reprised his role as Rick Deckard. Gosling's role was as Officer K, a "blade runner" working for the LAPD whose job it is to kill rogue bioengineered humans known as replicants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A. O. Scott found him to be perfectly cast, adding that his "ability to elicit sympathy while seeming too distracted to want it – his knack for making boredom look like passion and vice versa – makes him a perfect warm-blooded robot for our time".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite being Gosling's largest box office opening, grossing $31.5 million domestically, the film generally underperformed at the box office.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, Gosling portrayed Neil Armstrong, the astronaut who became the first man to walk on the Moon in 1969, in Chazelle's biopic First Man, based on the book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Writing for IndieWire, Michael Nordine commended him for bringing "quiet charisma" and "grace" to his role, while Nicholas Barber of the BBC hailed him as the "best deadpan actor in the business".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

After a four-year break from film, Gosling returned starring in the 2022 spy-action thriller The Gray Man, opposite Chris Evans and Ana de Armas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film had a limited theatrical release and was distributed by Netflix. Despite negative reviews from critics, who described the film as "mediocre" and full of cliches, a sequel has been announced and is in development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the following year, Gosling starred as Ken in Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy Barbie, opposite Margot Robbie in the title role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also sang the song "I'm Just Ken" for the film's accompanying soundtrack as well as a cover of "Push" by Matchbox Twenty.<ref name="PushCoverEW">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His performance was acclaimed, with Anthony Lane of The New Yorker lauding his comedic performance as "peak Gosling",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and VultureTemplate:'s Alison Willmore wrote that he "comes close to stealing the movie".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He received Golden Globe, Critics' Choice, SAG, BAFTA, and Academy Award nominations for his performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He performed "I'm Just Ken" live at the 96th Academy Awards, where it was nominated for Best Original Song.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling next starred in the action comedy film The Fall Guy alongside Emily Blunt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It received positive reviews from critics but did not perform well commercially.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gosling will next produce and star in Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir's science fiction novel of the same name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music career

Gosling at a Dead Man's Bones concert in 2009

In 2000, Gosling published a solo album with the misspelled title Angel With Tatooed Wings.<ref>Template:Discogs release, accessed June 3, 2025.</ref> The track "Put Me in the Car" from this album was made available for download on the Internet in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also that year, Gosling and his friend Zach Shields formed the indie rock band Dead Man's Bones. The two first met in 2005 when Gosling was dating Rachel McAdams and Shields was dating her sister, Kayleen.<ref name="allmusic1"/><ref name="rollingstone1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> They initially conceived of the project as a monster-themed musical but settled on forming a band when they realized putting on a stage production would be too expensive.<ref name="allmusic1">Template:Cite web</ref> They recorded their eponymous debut album with the Silverlake Conservatory's Children's Choir and learned to play all the instruments themselves.<ref name="allmusic1"/> Gosling contributed vocals, piano, guitar, bass guitar and cello to the record.<ref name="rollingstone1"/> The album was released through ANTI- Records on October 6, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pitchfork Media was won over by the "unique, catchy and lovably weird record"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Prefix felt the album was "rarely kitschy and never inappropriate".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Spin felt the album "doesn't reverse the rule that actors make dubious pop musicians"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Entertainment Weekly criticized its "cloying, gothic preciousness".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In September 2009, Gosling and Shields had a three-night residency at LA's Bob Baker Marionette Theater where they performed alongside dancing neon skeletons and glowing ghosts.<ref name="rollingstone1"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They then conducted a thirteen-date tour of North America in October 2009, using a local children's choir at every show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Instead of an opening act, a talent show was held each night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2010, they performed at Los Angeles' FYF Festival. In 2011, the actor spoke of his intentions to record a second Dead Man's Bones album. No children's choir will be featured on the follow-up album because "it's not very rock 'n' roll".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Gosling at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival

Gosling previously resided in New York City.<ref name="independent uk 2013">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He co-owns Tagine, a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He bought the restaurant on an impulse; he said he spent "all [his] money" on it,<ref name=tagine /> spent a year doing the renovation work himself, and now oversees the restaurant's menus.<ref name=tagine>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling dated his Murder by Numbers co-star Sandra Bullock from 2002 to 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He then had a relationship with his The Notebook co-star Rachel McAdams from 2005 to 2008;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gosling has been in a relationship with his The Place Beyond the Pines co-star Eva Mendes since September 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have two daughters, born in 2014 and 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When asked in a 2022 interview if she and Gosling had married, Mendes said that "I like to keep it all mysterious".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Charity work

Gosling supports various social causes. He has worked with PETA to encourage KFC and McDonald's to use improved methods of chicken slaughter, and on a campaign encouraging dairy farmers to stop de-horning cows.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2005, Gosling volunteered in Biloxi, Mississippi, in the clean-up effort following Hurricane Katrina.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a supporter of Invisible Children, Inc., a group that raises awareness about the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2005, he traveled to Darfur refugee camps in Chad.<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a speaker at Campus Progress' National Conference in 2008, where he discussed Darfur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of his work with the Enough Project, he visited Uganda in 2007<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and eastern Congo in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Accolades

Template:Main Among his many accolades, Gosling has received three Academy Award nominations, two British Academy Film Award nominations, one Golden Globe Award from six nominations, and six Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

In 2006, his role as a troubled history teacher in the drama film Half Nelson gained him nominations for an Academy Award<ref name="Oscars79">Template:Cite news</ref> and Screen Actors Guild Award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> for Best Actor. He received nominations for an Academy Award,<ref name="Oscars89">Template:Cite news</ref> British Academy Film Award,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> for La La Land (2016) and Barbie (2023) in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories respectively, winning a Golden Globe Award for the former. His performances in Lars and the Real Girl (2007),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Blue Valentine (2010),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Ides of March, and Crazy, Stupid, Love (both 2011);<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> also earned him Golden Globe nominations.

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Discogs artist
• Template:People.com
• Template:Tcmdb name