Ever since he appeared on the scene back in the 90s in an early Goosebumps episode (“Say Cheese and Die,” to be exact), Gosling has been proving himself to be an incredible force to be reckoned with. He went on to become the first person born in the 1980s to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, and he continues to rack up award nominations year after year—he’s got two Oscar nominations so far, with even more Golden Globes.
The most baffling thing about Ryan Gosling is his ability to be both handsome and good at acting. It’s crazy, we know. Plus, Gosling has great comedic timing. He’s a triple threat. It’s insanely intimidating, and he deserves every little bit of praise that he receives. He has a relatively short filmography, but a great one nonetheless.
The Nice Guys
Shane Black’s The Nice Guys tragically went relatively unnoticed when it came out back in 2016. Starring Gosling and Russell Crowe as two inept detectives investigating the death of a porn star, the film feels so fresh and so funny, almost like a long lost 80s movie. It’s easily Gosling at his very best—there’s action, comedy, and drama all rolled into this one exquisite role.
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Blade Runner 2049
A long-awaited sequel to one of the 80’s biggest cult hits, Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 stars Gosling as a young blade runner on the hunt for former blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). Gosling’s character, known only as K, is stoic and intimidating and the perfect role for him at this point in his career. It’s as serious as can be, but he plays it so well.
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Drive
Every guy with a scorpion jacket has Ryan Gosling to thank for making that scorpion jacket look so cool in the first place. Drive stars Gosling as a getaway driver who ends up getting into trouble after helping his neighbor. It’s stylish as can be thanks to filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn’s direction, but Gosling’s talent transforms the role into something uniquely his own.
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The Notebook
Don’t knock The Notebook till you try it. Sure, it’s based on a Nicholas Sparks novel and sure, it’s essentially a Romeo and Juliet story, but Gosling’s charm and passion make this film worth watching. Acting alongside Rachel McAdams, Gosling contributes to a chemistry that fuels the film, making it a staple of the romance genre.
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The Big Short
Adam McKay’s takedown of the US mortgage market stars a bunch of heavy hitters, but none hit as hard as Gosling. Starring alongside Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt, Gosling holds his own (and then some) by making a sleazy investor seem compelling.
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La La Land
Ah, La La Land. The most talked-about film of Oscars season 2017, thanks in part to Gosling’s leading role as Sebastian: the piano-playing, tap-dancing, song-singing Californian with big dreams and even bigger musical numbers. He’s obviously great in it, as is Emma Stone as Mia, but Gosling did well enough to score himself the leading role in writer/director Damien Chazelle’s followup film First Man. La La Land earned six Oscars and even more nominations, and Gosling managed to take home a few.
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Blue Valentine
His first venture into Oscar-nominated movies about long, tumultuous relationships, Blue Valentine follows Gosling and Michelle Williams as a couple with an on-the-rocks relationship. Gosling acts his butt off and even plays the ukulele and sings a couple times. It’s a heavy movie, but Gosling’s more than capable of carrying it.
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Lars and the Real Girl
Of all his roles, the part of Lars is one of Gosling’s most complicated. He’s a man who’s convinced his doll is not only real, but in a relationship with him. It takes a great actor to be able to act against a doll and convince audiences that the character really believes what he believes—Gosling nails it.
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Half Nelson
Playing a middle school teacher with a bad drug habit, Half Nelson is the movie that earned Gosling his first Oscar nomination. It’s a heavy film, like many of his roles often are, but Gosling really delivers. There’s a fine line between convincing and cartoonish when playing a drug addict, and Gosling straddles that line like an expert.
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Crazy, Stupid, Love.
If you haven’t noticed already, Gosling tends to star with certain actors multiple times. Crazy, Stupid, Love. has him acting with Carell and Stone, both for the first time, and the three have enough chemistry together to nail Gosling two separate reunions with the actors later on down the line. He’s playing a pick-up artist in this film and he’s really funny in the role. It’s worth watching just to see him interact with actors he so obviously works well with.
Purchase now on Amazon for $2.99.
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