Hey Girl, It's Ryan Gosling's Birthday

​ By Kendall Howze
     
​     This November, an extremely important event is coming up. It’s a day to give thanks for the things that we have been blessed with. Surprisingly, I’m not talking about Thanksgiving. 37 years ago on November 12th, the world was graced with the birth of Ryan Thomas Gosling. Ryan’s acting career in 1993 on The Mickey Mouse Club. While he was only in three episodes, he made quite a lasting impression. Even as a child, he was able to steal the show with grade A dance movies and a beautiful singing voice.

     Over the years, Gosling has captured the hearts of many. In honor of Gosling’s 37th birthday, we are going to highlight some of Gosling’s greatest roles over the years. One of his most well known roles was Noah Calhoun in The Notebook. After the movie was released, his character quickly became many women’s ideal significant other. Gosling plays a man who falls in love with Allie Hamilton, played by Rachel McAdams, as a teenager. Due to their differing social classes, Allie’s parents forbid their relationship. Noah, despite their separation, refuses to give up on her, vowing to love her forever. Fans of the movie were pleasantly surprised when Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling himself recreated their iconic kiss in the rain at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.

     While Ryan Gosling could have been a “one hit wonder,” he came back in 2011 with the role of Jacob Palmer in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Gosling’s on-screen chemistry with Emma Stone was praised by many critics. In the movie, Gosling’s character, Jacob Palmer, helps a man that he meets in a bar who just recently separated from his wife. Palmer agrees to help the man, Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) by transforming him from an average looking man whose wife just left him to new and improved I-bet-you-wish-you-didn’t-leave-me-Cal Weaver. Senior Gopika Gopinath agrees that, “Ryan’s acting skills are unique in the sense of his engagement with his audience.”

     To add a few honorable mentions to the list of Gosling’s greatest works, his movie The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012 showed Gosling’s versatility as an actor. While Gosling plays the easy going or comical character in many of his films, he plays a bank robber in The Place Beyond the Pines, struggling to provide for his illegitimate son.

     Let’s not forget about his award winning movie, La La Land. His movie won not only an Oscar, but a Golden Globe. Fans were graced with Gosling’s rather surprising ability to play the piano beautifully. In addition to his piano playing skills, Gosling had quite a few chances to sing in the movie, something we haven’t seen from him since his Mickey Mouse Club.
​
     Keeping that in mind, how should you spend Ryan Gosling’s birthday? Watching all of his movies! Maybe not all of them, but the classics listed above paired with a bowl of popcorn will surely make for a great night. Senior Easha Qasba says she thinks, “Ryan Gosling’s birthday is a great day to watch all of his movies.” Everyone, make sure you get ready for the 12th.