Born right at the start of the 80s, Ryan Gosling has become one of the most popular and well-known actors of this generation. He has been married to the gorgeous Eva Mendes since 2011 and they share two daughters together. His personal life and career life have both been thriving for over a decade.

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His first spring break was in 2004 alongside Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, the film inspired by a book written by Nicholas Sparks. After filming that movie, Ryan Gosling went on to star in roles such as First Man, The Nice Guys, The Big Short, and Crazy Stupid Love. He has acted alongside Gerard Butler, Emma Stone, George Clooney, Natalie Portman, and Steve Carell. Here’s what his life was like before he got famous.

10 Ryan Gosling Was Born And Raised In Canada

Despite the fact that Canada is right next door to the United States, the two countries are vastly different! Ryan Gosling grew up in Canada, a place where he experienced a lot of snow and the French language. These days, he resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Eva Mendes, and their precious kids. 

9 Ryan Gosling Grew Up With A Strict Mormon Family

Ryan Gosling has revealed that he grew up with a strict Mormon family. Although he is no longer very religious these days, he had to follow a lot of rules and regulations in accordance with the faith when he was a child.

Both of his parents were heavily involved in the Mormon church and due to that fact, they wanted their kids to be the same. Unfortunately for them, the strict guidelines of the faith only stood to turn Gosling off from the religion altogether. He ended up leaving the religion as an adult.

8 Ryan Gosling's Father Was A Salesman And His Mother A Secretary

Ryan Gosling’s parents were both hard-working people. They cared a lot about raising their kids in a way where the kids would never have to want or need for anything. His father worked as a traveling salesman, moving around from town to town making sales while his mother worked as a secretary.

She eventually quit her job in order to homeschool Gosling which shows that she was willing to make a major sacrifice for the benefit of her child. Their incredible work ethic definitely runs in the family. 

7 Ryan Gosling Was Influenced By The Film ‘Dick Tracy’

Ryan Gosling was influenced by the film Dick Tracy when he was just a kid. It is always interesting to find out which movies or TV shows inspired popular actors and actresses down the line. Dick Tracy is a 1990 film that is classified as both an action and crime movie.

It is about a detective who is looking for the evidence required to take down the cities worst and most violent criminal. The movie stars Warren Beatty in the lead and it also includes Madonna. It makes sense for Ryan Gosling to choose a career in acting after seeing this movie as a child.

6 Ryan Gosling Was Diagnosed With ADHD As A Child

Ryan Gosling was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and it got in the way of his interest in school. He really didn’t like going to school and he didn’t thrive academically. At one point, he even got expelled for bringing a basket of knives to class and throwing it at a student he was angry with.

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He was trying to be like Rambo so it isn’t like he was just completely out of his mind. His behaviors landed him in hot water because he was no longer allowed to return to the academic institution.

5 Ryan Gosling Would Perform At Weddings With His Sister

Ryan Gosling and his sister had a knack for performing at weddings together. Her sister is named Mandi Gosling and it is obvious that the two of them were close when they were younger. Weddings are such an intimate place to perform songs and for Ryan and his sister, making sure that wedding performances came out perfectly was easy.

More recently Ryan and his sister were rumored to be dating when she attended the 2018 Oscars with him but he clarified with everyone that it was simply just his sister!

4 Ryan Gosling Joined A Local Ballet Company

When Ryan Gosling was a lot younger, he joined the local ballet company in his area. It's clear he enjoys performing in all capacities and that includes dancing. It would be hard to picture Ryan Gosling performing a ballet set right now but that doesn’t mean that he would be totally opposed.

He has proven that he knows how to express himself musically alongside Emma Stone in the movie La La Land. It is not a shock at all that when he was a child he tried ballet.

3 Ryan Gosling Landed Mickey Mouse Club

Ryan Gosling landed Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club after one audition. He ended up starring on the show alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

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Countless successful celebs, actors, and singers that most people know of today got their start on Mickey Mouse club and Ryan Gosling is part of that group. They knew that he was something special when he auditioned so they made sure he was able to be added to the lineup.

2 Ryan Gosling Dropped Out Of High School At 17

School is not for everyone and it was definitely not for Ryan Gosling who chose to drop out of high school at age 17. He knew from a very young age that furthering his education was not going to help him in the long run. He moved to Hollywood and fully chose to go after his dream of becoming an actor.

He confidently moved forward with his plans without slowing down or giving up at any point in time. He knew that it would be a difficult road but he was up for the challenge.

1 Ryan Gosling Snagged Some Small Roles Before Landing The Notebook

Ryan Gosling snagged several small roles before landing The Notebook in 2004. He was all about independent films and totally on board for playing minor roles. He starred in Breaker High, Young Hercules, Remember the Titans, The Believer, and Murder by Numbers.

Obviously, the number one place that most people first remember seeing Ryan Gosling’s face is alongside Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. The love story is one of the most classic and iconic romantic films of all time and that is because it is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks.

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