Ryan Gosling was born in London, Ontario at the same hospital as his current girlfriend, Rachel McAdams. He, along with his older sister Mandi, was raised as a strict Mormon by parents Thomas and Donna.
Ryan got his first taste of stardom after he auditioned for, and made, the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993. During his time on MMC, Ryan lived with co-star Justin Timberlake and his family.
Since his stint on The Mickey Mouse Club, Ryan has not received any formal acting training.
However, he has navigated some intense and complicated roles with relative ease, appearing on TV in Young Hercules and Breaker High, as well as on the big screen in The Slaughter Rule, Murder by Numbers, Remember the Titans, Believer, the Notebook, and most recently (and notably), Half Nelson.
RELATED: Ryan Gosling Loves Knitting & Almost Joined The Backstreet Boys
Ryan has developed a reputation for throwing himself into the roles he plays.
He first commanded respect from critics in Believer, a film that required him to play an obsessive Jewish man, Danny, who turned to anti-Semitism to escape his inner torment.
For his part in Believer, Gosling won the Best Male Lead at the 2002 Independent Spirit Awards and the Golden Aires Award from the Russian Guild of Film Critics.
Ryan most recently received a Best Actor nomination from the Academy for his role in Half Nelson, in which he plays an inner-city teacher with a drug problem.
We all saw him (with his little bald head) arriving at the awards with his mother and sister. His choice of date caused some speculation about the status of his relationship with McAdams, but we have been assured that the “Best Kiss” couple is alive and well.
Important Ryan Gosling Statistics:
- Full Name: Ryan Thomas Gosling
- Born: November 12, 1980 (age 26)
- Birth Place: London, Ontario
- Current Residence: Los Angeles, CA
- Physical Attributes: 6'2″ and dead sexy!
- Marital Status: Single; dating his The Notebook co-star Rachael McAdams
Random Ryan Gosling Facts:
- Jazz guitarist; favorite musician is Chet Baker
- Purchased the Jeep Cherokee used by Ben Chaplin on the set of Murder By Numbers
- Built the kitchen table in The Notebook while preparing for his character
- Was
home schooled throughout elementary school because he was picked on so much (poor guy) - High school nickname was “Trouble”
- Has a dog named George
- Owns Moroccan restaurant Tagine in Beverly Hills
- In 2004 Ryan was voted one of the “Fifty Hottest Bachelors” by People Magazine.
Socialite Life debuted back in 2003. SL Flashback showcases some of our favorite content from years past. This article was originally published on March 6, 2007.
