Like many contemporary teen crushes, this charismatic Canadian started out as a precocious performer on Disney's revamped
Mickey Mouse Club. As a clean-scrubbed youth in the early '90s, Gosling belted out boy-band songs in falsetto alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and J.C. Chasez. But unlike his
MMC costars, he switched his focus to acting, and by the end of the decade he had built up an impressive résumé in a number of juvenile-oriented TV series, notably as the title character in the short-lived action-adventure series
Young Hercules. In 2001, he shattered his cute-kid image with his breakout role as a zealous anti-Semite who happens to be Jewish in
The Believer. Gosling continued to excel at playing complex, troubled characters: a high-school student turned killer in
Murder by Numbers (which introduced him to ex-girlfriend Sandra Bullock) and a troubled youth trying to survive juvie in
The United States of Leland. But it was his charming performance as a poor lovesick boy in the popular romance
The Notebook that caused women of all ages to swoon, including his costar-cum-girlfriend Rachel McAdams. Ever the rebel, instead of opting to become Hollywood's next leading hunk, Gosling wisely returned to his dark side in
Half Nelson, earning SAG and Oscar nominations for his riveting turn as an inner-city teacher struggling with a crack habit.
Ryan Gosling Fast Facts:
- Worked as an apprentice for a furniture maker to prepare for his role in 2004's The Notebook. Some of the pieces he created appear in the film.
- Won a MTV Award for Best Kiss in 2005 with girlfriend and Notebook costar Rachel McAdams.
- Ryan Gosling Relationships:
- Donna Gosling - Mother
- Mandi Gosling - Sister
- Rachel McAdams - Ex-significant Other
- Sandra Bullock - Ex-significant Other
- Thomas Gosling - Father
- Ryan Gosling Awards:
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2008 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
