Born:
November 12, 1980
in
London, Ontario
Best Known For:
Drive, Crazy Stupid Love and The Ides of March.
Early-life:
Ryan Thomas Gosling was born in London, Ontario, on November 12, 1980, the son of Thomas Ray, a travelling salesman, and Donna, a high school teacher. His parents divorced when he was a child and he and his sister, Mandi, lived with their mother. From an early age, Ryan and his sister sang together at weddings and he was involved in a local ballet company. At the age of 12, he moved to Orlando after successfully auditioning for a role as a mouseketeer in Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club. Fellow cast members included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Career:
In 1995, Gosling returned to Canada and appeared in family TV series including Are You Afraid of the Dark, Goosebumps and Breaker High. At the age of 18, he moved to New Zealand to film adventure series Young Hercules. He made his film debut in Remember the Titans (2000) and secured his first lead role in The Believer (2001). His first taste of mainstream success was in The Notebook (2004). In a career that has seen him star in a number of box-office failures, he has had success with Blue Valentine (2010), Drive (2011), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), The Ides of March (2011), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and Gangster Squad (2013).
Quote:
"When I'm down in the dumps, nothing gets my toes a-tappin' like putting on my old MC Hammer pants."
Trivia:
Away from acting, Gosling has continued to perform as a singer. In 2007, with his friend Zach Shields, he formed indie rock band Dead Man's Bones. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Half Nelson (2006), a film that only cost $700,000 to make.