# Ryan Gosling
**Ryan Gosling** (born 1980) is a Canadian actor known for starring roles in films including *The Notebook*, *La La Land*, *Blade Runner 2049*, and *Barbie*, and a three-time Academy Award nominee for *Half Nelson*, *La La Land*, and *Barbie*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) He began his career as a child performer on *The All New Mickey Mouse Club* and has since moved between independent drama, romantic film, action, science fiction, and studio comedy, while also working as a musician with his band [Dead Man's Bones](https://www.edgepedia.org/dead-mans-bones) and directing one feature, *Lost River* (2014).[3](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2023/03/80243.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980, in London, Ontario; grew up in Cornwall, Ontario[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) |
| First break | Won a spot on *The All New Mickey Mouse Club* in January 1993, beating out 17,000 other aspiring actors[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Breakthrough role | The Jewish neo-Nazi Danny Balint in *The Believer* (2001), which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) |
| Oscar nominations | Three: Best Actor for *Half Nelson* (2006) and *La La Land* (2016), Best Supporting Actor for *Barbie* (2023)[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) • [4](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024) |
| Music | Musician and singer with his group Dead Man's Bones[3](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2023/03/80243.pdf) |
| Directing | *Lost River* (2014), his directorial debut, premiered at Cannes and was widely panned by critics[5](https://time.com/3774445/ryan-gosling-lost-river-movie/) |
| Personal life | Long-term relationship with actor Eva Mendes, with whom he has two children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) |
## Early life and television start
Gosling was born in [London, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-ontario), and grew up in [Cornwall, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/cornwall-ontario), attending Gladstone Public School and Cornwall Collegiate & Vocational School in Drama and Fine Arts before the family relocated to [Burlington, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/burlington-ontario), where he attended Lester B. Pearson High School.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) He first performed as a singer at talent contests with his sister Mandi.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true)
In January 1993, at age 12, he attended an open audition in Montreal for *The All New Mickey Mouse Club* and beat out 17,000 other aspiring actors for a spot on the show.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) He appeared on the program for two years alongside future stars including [Britney Spears](https://www.edgepedia.org/britney-spears), Christina Aguilera, and [Justin Timberlake](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-timberlake), and lived with co-star Justin Timberlake's family while on the show.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) Though he received no formal acting training, he moved into acting after the series, appearing on the television shows *Breaker High* (1997) and *Young Hercules* (1998).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true)
## Breakthrough and critical reputation
Gosling's early film work included *Remember the Titans* (2000), *The Slaughter Rule* (2002), and *Murder by Numbers* (2002).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) His breakthrough came with the controversial lead role in *The Believer* (2001), a film drawn from the real-life case of a [Ku Klux Klan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ku-klux-klan) member whom a New York Times reporter exposed as Jewish; the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) Gosling later credited the role with giving him the career he has.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/18/awardsandprizes.oscars)
**Mainstream success.** The 2004 romantic drama *The Notebook*, in which he played Noah, made him a mainstream star, and the film's kiss with co-star [Rachel McAdams](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachel-mcadams) won an MTV Movie Award.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [7](https://www.thewrap.com/ryan-gosling-evolution-child-actor-mickey-mouse-club-la-la-land/) Two years later he earned his first Academy Award nomination, as Best Actor, for playing the drug-addicted teacher Dan Dunne in *Half Nelson* (2006).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor for *Lars and the Real Girl* (2007) and *Blue Valentine* (2010).[8](https://cdn-media.festival-cannes.com/film_film/0002/27/bdcfd7a2739eaf2ffbc3b5690e351acc008bc787.pdf)
Through the 2010s he alternated between independent drama and studio genre work: *Blue Valentine* (2010), *Crazy, Stupid, Love.* (2011), *Drive* (2011), *The Ides of March* (2011), *The Place Beyond the Pines* (2012), *The Big Short*, *The Nice Guys* (2016), and *La La Land* (2016), for which he received his second Oscar nomination.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) In 2017 he starred in the science fiction sequel *Blade Runner 2049* with [Harrison Ford](https://www.edgepedia.org/harrison-ford), and later played astronaut [Neil Armstrong](https://www.edgepedia.org/neil-armstrong) in *First Man*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true) • [9](https://time.com/6972690/ryan-gosling-the-fall-guy-tribute/) Critics have described a through line in his work as brooding intensity with lightness underneath.[10](https://d2bu9v0mnky9ur.cloudfront.net/academy2023/images/latimes.com_How_Ryan_Goslings_Ken_became_subversive_center_of_Barbie.pdf)
## Barbie and the 2024 Oscars
Gosling played Ken in *Barbie* (2023), directed by [Greta Gerwig](https://www.edgepedia.org/greta-gerwig), which was 2023's highest-grossing movie.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 96th Academy Awards, where [Robert Downey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-downey-jr) won the category.[4](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024)
At the ceremony on March 10, 2024, Gosling performed the Oscar-nominated song "I'm Just Ken" live, alongside 65 other "Kens", [Guns N' Roses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-n-roses) guitarist Slash, and musician [Mark Ronson](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-ronson); the number included co-stars Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Ncuti Gatwa, and drew a standing ovation from Steven Spielberg.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/ryan-gosling-im-just-ken-oscars) The song, written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, lost the Best Original Song Oscar to Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's "What Was I Made For?", also from *Barbie*.[4](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/ryan-gosling-im-just-ken-oscars) Gosling said his daughters Esmeralda and Amada gave him tips during rehearsals and that their interest in Barbie and disinterest in Ken drew him to the project.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling)
## Directing and music
Gosling is also a musician and singer with his group Dead Man's Bones.[3](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2023/03/80243.pdf) He and a friend opened a Moroccan restaurant called Tagine in Beverly Hills, where he could often be found in the kitchen.[6](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/18/awardsandprizes.oscars)
His directorial debut, *Lost River* (2014), which he also wrote, is a dark fantasy set in a Detroit-like decaying city, starring Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Ben Mendelsohn, and his partner Eva Mendes.[5](https://time.com/3774445/ryan-gosling-lost-river-movie/) Its original title was *How to Catch a Monster*.[5](https://time.com/3774445/ryan-gosling-lost-river-movie/) The film premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it was greeted with boos and unfavorable reviews, and Warner Bros. subsequently declined to give it a wide theatrical release.[5](https://time.com/3774445/ryan-gosling-lost-river-movie/) • [12](https://time.com/3649457/ryan-gosling-lost-river/) Gosling later said he would not direct another film until his children were older, citing the time commitment.[13](https://www.newsofbahrain.com/epaper/09-05-2024/PDF_9-05-2024_1715236311_IBvSTU9exf_09-05-2024.pdf)
## Recent and upcoming work
Gosling starred as stuntman Colt Seavers in *The Fall Guy* (2024), released shortly after his Oscars performance.[9](https://time.com/6972690/ryan-gosling-the-fall-guy-tribute/) In 2026 he headlined *Project Hail Mary*, an adaptation of Andy Weir's novel in which he plays the amnesiac astronaut Ryland Grace on a solo mission to save Earth; he also produced the film.[14](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/ryan-gosling/filmography/) • [15](https://wearespark.com/app/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/Next-on-the-Big-Screen-2025-26.pdf) The film opened strongly, earning $80 million domestically and $141 million globally in its opening weekend.[16](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/ryan-gosling-exits-daniels-universal-movie-34889/)
Two franchise roles follow. At Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025, Lucasfilm announced *Star Wars: Starfighter*, directed by Shawn Levy, with Gosling starring as a brand-new character set approximately five years after *Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker*; the film arrives in theaters on Memorial Day 2027.[17](https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-starfighter) At Comic-Con International in July 2026, Marvel Studios announced that Gosling will play Ghost Rider in a film set for release in 2028.[18](https://apnews.com/article/35f4476d32fdd55acc7bcbe608a8e2d2)
## Personal life
Gosling is in a long-term relationship with actor Eva Mendes, with whom he shares two children.[2](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling) He has said that being a parent for over a decade has shaped the kinds of movies he chooses, steering him toward films designed for all audiences.[19](https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/ryan-gosling-explains-doesnt-pick-same-kind-movies-anymore)
## References
1. [Ryan Gosling, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/?showAllCredits=true)
2. [Ryan Gosling: Biography, Actor, 2024 Oscar Nominee, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/ryan-gosling)
3. [Ryan Gosling (Julian), Festival de Cannes cast sheet](https://cdn.festival-cannes.com/media/uploads/2023/03/80243.pdf)
4. [The 96th Academy Awards | 2024, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024)
5. [Is Ryan Gosling's Lost River Crazy Brilliant or Just Plain Crazy?, TIME](https://time.com/3774445/ryan-gosling-lost-river-movie/)
6. ['I live on Skid Row. You can't filter out reality there', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/18/awardsandprizes.oscars)
7. [The Evolution of Ryan Gosling: From 'Mickey Mouse Club' to 'First Man', TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/ryan-gosling-evolution-child-actor-mickey-mouse-club-la-la-land/)
8. [About the Cast, Festival de Cannes](https://cdn-media.festival-cannes.com/film_film/0002/27/bdcfd7a2739eaf2ffbc3b5690e351acc008bc787.pdf)
9. [Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling, TIME](https://time.com/6972690/ryan-gosling-the-fall-guy-tribute/)
10. [How Ryan Gosling's Ken became subversive center of Barbie, Los Angeles Times](https://d2bu9v0mnky9ur.cloudfront.net/academy2023/images/latimes.com_How_Ryan_Goslings_Ken_became_subversive_center_of_Barbie.pdf)
11. [Oscars 2024: Ryan Gosling performs hit song I'm Just Ken from Barbie, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/ryan-gosling-im-just-ken-oscars)
12. [Here's Why You Won't Be Able to Go See Ryan Gosling's New Movie in Theaters, TIME](https://time.com/3649457/ryan-gosling-lost-river/)
13. [Ryan Gosling won't direct another film until his kids are older, News of Bahrain](https://www.newsofbahrain.com/epaper/09-05-2024/PDF_9-05-2024_1715236311_IBvSTU9exf_09-05-2024.pdf)
14. [Ryan Gosling Movies List and Filmography, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/ryan-gosling/filmography/)
15. [Next on the Big Screen 2025-26, Spark distribution catalog](https://wearespark.com/app/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/Next-on-the-Big-Screen-2025-26.pdf)
16. [Ryan Gosling Exits 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Directing Duo's Next Movie, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/ryan-gosling-exits-daniels-universal-movie-34889/)
17. [Director Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter Film Starts Production This Fall, StarWars.com](https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-starfighter)
18. [Comic-Con 2026: David Jonsson is new Black Panther, Ryan Gosling joins Marvel as Ghost Rider, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/35f4476d32fdd55acc7bcbe608a8e2d2)
19. [Ryan Gosling Explains Why He Doesn't Pick The Same Kind Of Movies Anymore, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/ryan-gosling-explains-doesnt-pick-same-kind-movies-anymore)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames G to I*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license