Ryan Gosling Biography

Ryan Gosling, actor

Birthdate: November, 12, 1980

Birthplace: London, Ontario

Sign: Scorpio

Ryan Gosling was born in London, Ontario in Canada to parents Thomas, a paper mill worker, and Donna, a secretary, who were both Mormons, though he was not raised in a strictly devout household. His parents divorced when he was young. Due to his difficulty in school and verbal and physical fights, his mother began home-schooling him when he was 10.

His family moved to Burlington, Ontario and he attended high school at Lester B. Pearson High School, eventually dropping out at age 17. He moved to Los Angeles in 1997 and stayed at the apartment of director Ron Oliver of "Goosebumps" and "Breaker High."

Though he had no formal acting training, he entered into his acting career in 1990 for the revival of "The Mickey Mouse Club" in seasons six and seven alongside Britney Spears, Keri Russell, Nikki DeLoach, Tony Lucca, Lindsey Alley, Christina Aguilera, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. During his two years on the show, he lived with co-star Justin Timberlake's family.

He also took other roles in television series such as "Flash Forward," "Young Hercules," "Goosebumps" and "Breaker High."

In 2001, he took a role on the big screen in the drama "The Believer" which started to make him a household name. He then gained other noteworthy roles in "Remember the Titans," "The Slaughter Rule," "The United States of Leland," "Stay" and "Murder by Numbers."

After his role in 2004's "The Notebook" received critical acclaim and gained attention from female viewers worldwide, he was named by People Magazine as one of the Fifty Hottest Bachelors and the Show West Male Star of Tomorrow.

In 2006, he took on the role of Dan Dunne, a drug-addicted junior high teacher, in "Half Nelson" and was named the Best Actor at the Spirit Awards. He was also nominated for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Broadcast Film Critics Association award as best actor.

Other film credits for Gosling include "Fracture," starring alongside Anthony Hopkins, and "Lars and the Real Girl" which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Gosling is also a musician, playing in the band Dead Man's Bones.

He can be seen in his next film, "All Good Things," which is currently in post-production and due out in 2009.

Gosling has been associated with several Hollywood stars including Sandra Bullock and Rachel McAdams.