From ‘La La Land’ to ‘Blade Runner 2049’, here are five movies in which the Canadian actor completely stole the show
There is no denying that Ryan Gosling has range. From a lovestruck romantic in The Notebook (2004) to a brooding anti-hero in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), the 42-year-old has delivered one solid performance after another. Most recently, he’s outdone himself as Ken opposite Margot Robbie’s Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023), which has taken the world by storm since it released on July 21. The film, which also stars Simu Liu of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), had made more than US$1.2 billion at the global box office as of Saturday, August 19—making Barbie the second highest-grossing movie of 2023.
For his part, Gosling has received praise from critics and audiences alike for his portrayal of Ken, a bombastic, slightly ditzy and endlessly earnest figure whose character arc perfectly accentuated and complemented that of Robbie’s Barbie. Here, we revisit five other performances from Gosling that have cemented his status as a bankable Hollywood star.
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1. ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ (2011)
Gosling delivered a velvet smooth performance as the slick, sweet-talking Jacob Palmer in Crazy, Stupid, Love, who unwittingly weaves himself into the Weaver family when he helps hapless dad Cal (Steve Carrell) become more of a hit with the ladies after separating from his wife and high school sweetheart, Emily (Julianne Moore). Meanwhile, Jacob also finds himself falling for Hannah, who turns out to be Cal’s and Emily’s eldest daughter. The scene in which everything comes to light will forever be one of the most hilarious and entertaining four minutes of cinema ever.
Back to Gosling. What makes this role so memorable—besides the character’s many quotable quips—is that behind his suave demeanour is a man seeking love, and his steely armour is just a way to protect himself.