Biography

		Life Story
		Film and Career

A tall, lanky blond actor who began his career as a singer, Ryan Gosling steadily amassed an impressive resume in film and TV before finally breaking through with a powerful performance as a Jewish neo-Nazi in the based-on-fact "The Believer" (2001), the Grand Jury Prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Gosling began his showbiz career performing with his older sister at local talent shows. After beating out some 17,000 other aspirants, he was selected to join the 1990s Disney Channel revival of the "Mickey Mouse Club" in 1993, joining a cast that included future singing superstars Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez of *NSYNC, as well as Keri Russell of TV's "Felicity". 

By the time his last episodes aired in 1996 -- he spent two years taping episodes that aired over a four-year period -- Gosling could be seen in the story of preteen who tries to bring the Creature back to life in "Frankenstein and Me" (Disney Channel). That same year, he delivered a well-received turn as a British foundling in an episode of "The Road to Avonlea" (aired in the USA on Disney Channel), which brought him a Gemini Award nomination.

In 1997. Gosling was tapped to play the smooth-talking hypochondriac Sean Hanlon in "Breaker High" (USA Network, 1997-98), a half-hour series about a high school set on a cruise ship. His goofy charm and attractive looks earned him status as a teen pin-up which was further enhanced by casting as "Young Hercules" (Fox, 1998-99), a sort of prequel to the popular series featuring Kevin Sorbo.

Gosling made the transition to the big screen playing one of the squad of players coping with the integration of the football team in the 1970s-set true-life drama "Remember the Titans" (2000). He followed with a galvanizing performance as an articulate and intelligent young Jewish teen who becomes involved with a neo-Nazi group in "The Believer" (2001). 

The Sundance-screened film was inspired by a real-life event but writer-director Henry Bean took some liberties with the tale, moving the time frame from the 60s to the present. The film picked up the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in part because of Gosling's star-making turn. 

The young actor next was cast as another troubled teen trying to cope with life in a violent world in "The Slaughter Rule" (2002) before turning murderous as a teen trying to outwit an FBI agent (Sandra Bullock) in "Murder By Numbers" (2002). Gosling's performance in that film made a mark among Hollywood players, but to the public he was primarily known as Bullock's rumored paramour (both denied any romantic relationship).

He next delviered an adroit turn as the autistic Leland in the otherwise disappointing indie "The United States of Leland" (2004), and then landed what would be his breakout performance in a mainstream film, playing the young romantic lead opposite Rachel McAdams in Nick Cassavetes' effectively sentimental and emotional adaptation of the bestselling novel "The Notebook" (2004). 

Cast against type after Cassavetes saw "The Believer" and thought the actor had unexplored depths, Gosling delivered a warm and charming performance bouyed by a heartbreaking depression that elevated his status among the actors of his generation.

Less satisfying was Marc Forster's ambitious but murky psychological thriller "Stay" (2005), about a shrink (Ewan McGregor) whose suicidal patient (Gosling) somehow begins invading his dreams and blurring the lines of their realities and individualities.

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