February 2, 2017 | Sammy Tran

Interesting Facts About Ryan Gosling


2. The Mickey Mouse Club Crew

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Ryan first broke into show business on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin /Timberlake. Ryan and Justin were roommates during their time in the Mickey Mouse Club. Justin’s mom was his legal guardian for six months.

Ryan Gosling arrives to the DFree, Shutterstock

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3. Umm...ok?

He was cast in The Notebook because the director thought he wasn’t cool or good-looking. For real, this is what happened when Ryan met the director of The Notebook: “When I got there, he was standing in his backyard, and he looked at me and said, ‘I want you to play this role because you’re not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. You’re not handsome, you’re not cool, you’re just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts.’”

Screenshot from the movie The Notebook (2004)New Line, The Notebook (2004)

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4. Probably should have asked

Ryan Gosling was supposed to play the lead in The Lovely Bones but was fired when he showed up on set weighing 210 pounds. He was cast when he weighed 150 pounds. He actually gained the weight on purpose because he felt the character should be fat and bearded, Peter Jackson disagreed.

Ryan Gosling attends the premiere of the movie 'First Man' and the opening gala during the Venice Film FestivalAndrea Raffin, Shutterstock

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5. Handyman Ryan

Ryan built the car he used in Drive. The director said, “Ryan wanted to build his own car. So the car, the Malibu, the old gray car he drives around, he built himself. He took it apart and put it back together.” He also built the table from The Notebook that he and Rachel McAdams consummated their relationship on.

Screenshot from the movie Drive (2011)FilmDistrict, Drive (2011)

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6. I got an idea!

After eating an awesome meal, Ryan, on a whim, decided to open a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills called Tagine. It basically bankrupt him and he had to do all the plumbing work himself. And yes, he even did the dishes.

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Actor Ryan Gosling at the world premiere of Jaguar PS, Shutterstock

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7. Tattoo Gone Wrong

Ryan gave himself a tattoo with a tattoo kit and no experience. It was supposed to be a bloody monster’s hand but it looks more like a cactus. He said: “One of my tattoos is supposed to be a monster’s hand dropping a bloody heart but I did it myself with a tattoo kit so it looks like a cactus.”

Actor Ryan Gosling (watch/tattoo detail) attends the Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Getty Images

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8. Sandra Bullock’s A Cougar

He dated Sandra Bullock from 2002–2003. She was 16 years older than him. In 2011, he said she was one of the greatest girlfriends, “I had two of the greatest girlfriends of all time. I haven’t met anybody who could top them.” The other girl he’s referring to was Rachel McAdams.

American actress Sandra Bullock (L) and actor Ryan Gosling arrive at the Festival Palace before the screening of the film Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images

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9. A Dog With A Mohawk

His dog George has a mohawk because his dog insists on it. Ryan said, “Ten years ago I shaved a mohawk just for the summer. And then, every time it started to grow out, he turned into a total jerk. And then, I’d shave it back and he’d turn into a nice guy again.”

Ryan Gosling along with his dog George visits Theo Wargo, Getty Images

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10. Quit Playing Games With Our Hearts

A.J. McLean never returned Ryan Gosling’s calls about joining the Backstreet Boys in the early ’90s. They lived in the same apartment complex at the time. Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Why didn’t he call Justin Timberlake and ask to join N'sync?

AJ Mclean of the Backstreet Boys performs on stage at the one day Festivalbar music festival at Piazza Castello in TurinGiuseppe Cacace, Getty Images

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11. He’s Canadian, Eh?

He was born in London, Ontario, Canada on November 12, 1980. Funny enough, Gosling and ex-girlfriend and The Notebook co-star, Rachel McAdams, were born in the same hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ontario, Canada. What a coincidence! I wonder if they knew each other as children.

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RACHEL McADAMS & RYAN GOSLING at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards at Universal Amphitheatre, HollywoodFeatureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock

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12. A Lone Wolf

He was home-schooled since he was 10. Gosling admits that he has no entourage and only a few close friends. He often prefers solitude while not working, attributing it to his isolated childhood.

Ryan Gosling speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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13. A True Philanthropist

He is heavily involved in many types of philanthropic work, including PETA, Invisible Children and SickKids Foundation. He has also devoted time and money to AIDS research, poverty aid and humane animal treatment. He is a supporter of many causes ranging from the condition of refugees to the practices of slaughterhouses. He went to Chad in the year 2005 to make a documentary about the Darfur refugees living there.

Harvey Weinstein, Ryan Gosling and actress Emily Blunt speak during amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS 2010 benefit gala at the Hotel du Cap in AntibesFrancois Durand, Getty Images

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14. How do I get this on my iPhone?

When Gosling was on The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently to tell Ellen all about his new movie, La La Land, he sent the audience home with the "La La Land" soundtrack on vinyl, and with a record player from VNYL! VNYL is an awesome subscription service that sends you 3 vinyl records per month based on your Spotify account and member profile. So cool!

Ryan Gosling at the Los Angeles premiere of 'La La Land' held at the Mann Village TheatreShutterstock, Tinseltown

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15. Wanting To Sound Like Marlon Brando - Can’t Blame Him!

At age 17, Ryan dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his movie career. The first role he got in the new city was in the series “Young Hercules”. At a young age, Ryan thought having a Canadian accent didn’t sound “tough enough. I thought guys should sound like Marlon Brando. So now I have a phony accent I can’t shake, so it’s not phony anymore.”

Promotional portrait of American actor Marlon Brando with his arms foldedHulton Archive, Getty Images

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16. He Has A Heart Of Gold

Gosling has traveled to the Congo with the Enough Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending genocide.  Oh, and he once broke up a random fight between two guys on the streets of New York.

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Fidel Bafilemba, Ryan Gosling, Chouchou Namegabe and John Prendergast attend the discussion and signing for 'Congo Stories' at The West Hollywood LibraryTibrina Hobson, Getty Images

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17. He’s In A Band

The dude is musically inclined. He’s in a band called Dead Man’s Bones. He sings, as well as plays piano, guitar and bass. Oh, and back in 1991, he brought the house down with his rendition of “Everybody Dance Now.”

Portrait Photo of the actor Ryan Gosling, wearing brown shirt, holding a microphoneElen Nivrae, Flickr

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18. I could live in here

There’s a bathroom stall in a San Diego sushi restaurant entirely dedicated to him. Bang Bang, a sushi restaurant/dance club in San Diego, created quite possibly the best marketing strategy ever when they decided to cover the walls of a women’s bathroom stall in photos of Ryan Gosling. Behold, in all its glory, the Ryan Gosling bathroom.

Ryan Gosling attends The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Hosts An Official Academy Screening Of THE BIG SHORTRobin Marchant, Getty Images

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19. He Grew Up Mormon

He was brought up as a Mormon. Gosling was very religious as a child, and his parents still are. Gosling once told The Guardian: “We were pretty religious, it was a part of everything – what they ate, how they thought.”

Ryan Gosling attends 'The Nice Guys' premiere during the 69th annual Cannes Film FestivalDenis Makarenko, Shutterstock

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20. Channelling His Inner Rambo

He once threw steak knives at his schoolmates. “When I first saw Rambo, that movie put a kind of spell on me and I actually thought I WAS Rambo,” the Huffington Post has cited Gosling as saying. “So much so, that one day, I took a bunch of steak knives to school and threw them around at recess time because I thought we were in the movie!” He did learn a lesson from it, though, saying: “my mother said I couldn’t watch R-rated movies anymore.”

Screenshot from the movie Rambo III (1988)Carolco, Rambo III (1998)

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21. Love/hate relationship

He didn’t want Rachel McAdams to be in The Notebook. On-screen lovers Gosling and Rachel McAdams had a real-life romance for the two a few years after filming ended, much to our delight. But the duo reportedly fought like cats and dogs behinds the scenes, with Gosling even saying: “Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off-camera with me?”

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Actors Ryan Gosling (left) and Rachel McAdams arrive at the premiere of New Lines' Kevin Winter, Getty Images

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22. Buy Our Cookies Ryan!

After hearing this, you are going to wish you were a Girl Scout! He’s good to Girl Scouts. He once bought out an entire Girl Scout Cookie stand and handed them out to people on the street!

Actor Ryan Gosling attends 'First Man' photocall during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Casino in VeniceDenis Makarenko, Shutterstock

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23. He Loves Knitting

He just wants to sit in a room and knit all day. He told Vanity Fair: “If I had to design my perfect day, that would be it. And you get something out of it at the end. You get a nice present.”

Ryan Gosling at the world premiere of THE GRAY MANFeatureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock

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24. School Was Hard For Ryan

While he is known for being massively private, he has disclosed publicly that he struggled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child; a condition that caused him much heartache and difficulty during his early years. He was first diagnosed with ADHD when he was in first grade and was placed in a class with special-needs students.

Ryan Gosling arrives at the 'Gangster Squad' Premiere at Graumans Chinese TheaterKathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

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25. A Big Win For Ryan!

The Golden Globes were a lovely night for Ryan Gosling: The La La Land star won the award for best actor in a comedy or musical at this year’s Golden Globes. He thanked his costar Emma Stone (herself a nominee in the best actress in a musical or comedy category) and La La Land director Damien Chazelle, before paying special tribute to his partner Eva Mendes, whom Gosling noted helped raise their two daughters and take care of her brother, who died last year of cancer, while he was making the film.

Actor Ryan Gosling, winner of Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Kevin Winter, Getty Images

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26. Such Troublemakers

Gosling and Justin Timberlake were such troublemakers back in their Mickey Mouse Club days.  They once stole golf carts and drove them into MGM Studios. Gosling also allegedly played spin the bottle with Britney Spears.

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Ryan Gosling at FRACTURE Premiere, Mann's Village Theatre in WestwoodEverett Collection, Shutterstock

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27. A Real Life Hero

He may have played a superhero in movies, but he also acts like one in real life. While walking on the busy streets of New York City, one woman wasn't watching where she was going and was about to step into traffic. Many people of saw, but it was Ryan Gosling who pulled her back.

Actor Ryan Gosling attends 'First Man' photocall during 66th San Sebastian Film Festival in San SebastianCarlos Alvarez, Getty Images

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28. We Would Like Ryan To Serenade Us!

Gosling stars in Chazelle’s sweeping musical, La La Land, as Sebastian, an idealistic jazz pianist who falls head over heels for an actress named Mia (played by Emma Stone). Although Gosling had some musical experience from his Mickey Mouse Club days, he had to take extensive dance and piano lessons to play the dreamy musician. Last year he told Entertainment Weekly that starring in a musical presented a whole new set of challenges as an actor.

Screenshot from the movie La La LandBagoGames, Flickr

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29. May have corrupted Britney...

He feels responsible for corrupting Britney Spears on The Mickey Mouse Club. He says, "They would come and ask me questions about sex, and I just told them what I heard – like positions and stuff. All the other mothers went to Disney and told them I was corrupting their kids. I feel somewhat responsible for how sexual she is right now. When I see her with a snake around her neck, I think, 'Did I do that?'

Britney Spears at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards in Las VegasKevin Winter, Getty Images

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30. His Private Life

Gosling met Eva Mendes on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012. They have had two beautiful daughters, Esmeralda (2014) and Amanda (April 2016). "Eva's the dream mother, and they're dream babies, and it’s like a dream that I’m having right now. I’m dreaming it all," Gosling, 36, said of his family. "When you meet your kids you realize that they deserve great parents. And then you have your marching orders and you have to try and become the person that they deserve."

Photocall of the Movie 'Live' with the actress Eva Mendeslucacavallari, Shutterstock

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31. We Think His Big Break Was Breaker High!

Gosling's first major film breakthrough was his supporting role in the sports drama Remember the Titans (2000) starring Denzel Washington. He followed that performance with a leading role in the critically acclaimed film, The Believer, where he played a Jewish neo-Nazi. This movie won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Denzel Washington attends the 2018 Tony Awards Meet The NomineesJemal Countess, Getty Images

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32. He Won Our Hearts

Gosling reached a summit of his profession with his performance in Half Nelson (2006), which garnered him an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor. In a short time, he has established himself as one of the finest actors of his generation. Throughout the subsequent decade, he has become all three of an internet fixation, a box office star, and a critical darling, having headlined Blue Valentine (2010), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011), Drive (2011), The Ides of March (2011), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), The Nice Guys (2016), and La La Land (2016).

Actor Ryan Gosling attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center in HollywoodChristopher Polk, Getty Images

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

 

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