Ryan Gosling started as one of the many young talents featured on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. He started out as a dancer when he was a child and soon moved into acting.
His talents landed him the role of a lifetime in the romantic drama The Notebook. Gosling starred alongside Rachel McAdams and both of their careers blew up after the film's release.
Gosling and McAdams would go on to star in several big films, both becoming huge movie stars in their own right. Gosling's talent was apparent on set. He even showed his dedication to his craft in how he prepared for his role.
Ryan Gosling And Rachel McAdams Before The Notebook
Both Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams made impressions on the public before their respective roles in The Notebook.
Gosling got his start as a mouseketeer in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. He was a dancer as a child and auditioned because several kids from his school were auditioning as well. Gosling would later say that he wasn't skilled at dancing or singing.
"They regretted it pretty quickly after they hired me," he jokingly told David Letterman.
When Gosling moved from Canada to Florida, he lived in a trailer park with his mother called Yogi Bear Park. His mother had to keep her job in Canada for the show's second season. So Gosling lived with fellow mouseketeer Justin Timberlake. Timberlake's mother acted as Gosling's guardian for a six-month period.
In addition to Timberlake, Gosling joined a cast that included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez of NSYNC. Gosling's time alongside such talented individuals would allow his own talents to be discovered after the show was canceled.
McAdams was also making a name for herself. In the same year The Notebook was released, McAdams starred in the movie Mean Girls. McAdams acted alongside Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried. Tina Fey, who wrote and appeared in the movie, added her comedic genius to the film.
Needless to say, it was a hit and became a cult classic that has lived on long after its initial release.
Ryan Gosling Moves To Charleston To Prepare For The Role In The Notebook
When Gosling was cast in The Notebook, he went above and beyond to prepare for his role. He lived in Charleston, South Carolina for a few months before the movie was shot.
Charleston was where the move was set to be filmed. During his time in Charleston, Gosling worked as an apprentice for a local cabinetmaker. He also rowed on the Ashley River and built a kitchen table that was used in the film.
Despite their chemistry on screen, Gosling and McAdams didn't get along right away. The film's director, Nick Cassavetes, spoke to VH1 about their dynamic.
"Maybe I’m not supposed to tell this story, but they were really not getting along one day on set," he said. "And Ryan came to me, and there’s 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, 'Nick come here.' And he’s doing a scene with Rachel and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can’t. I can’t do it with her. I’m just not getting anything from this.'"
Cassavetes said that he arranged a therapy session of sorts to help them move forward.
"We went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other. I walked out. At that point I was smoking cigarettes. I smoked a cigarette and everybody came out like, 'All right let’s do this.' And it got better after that, you know? They had it out... I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn’t smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing."
The Notebook's Success And Its Aftermath
It seemed like Cassavetes' plan worked, because the film was a huge success. It grossed over $115 million worldwide and received critical acclaim.
Gosling and McAdams won four Teen Choice Awards and an MTV Movie Award for their roles in the film. McAdams was nominated for Best Female Performance at the MTV Movie Awards and Choice Breakout Movie Star at the Teen Choice Awards.
The film led both actors to star in bigger roles and become A-list movie stars. Gosling went on to act in films like Crazy, Stupid, Love and the Oscar-winning La La Land. McAdams would go on to star in films such as The Family Stone, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Sherlock Holmes.
Both would also be nominated for Academy Awards. Gosling was nominated twice in the Best Actor category for his performances in Half Nelson and La La Land. McAdams was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Spotlight.
It's safe to say that The Notebook was the fuse that lit the spark of both Gosling and McAdams' careers.