You’ve heard us speak of the balanced 360-degree Notable life – all of our YPs strive to achieve a balance of professional, social, charity and living life. To feed your weekly guilty indulgence of both male and female eye candy, coupled with 360- degree inspiration, we will profile a different celeb each week that we feel embodies this. We thought it only natural we’d start with a Canadian, and one the ladies are all too familiar with: the one and only Ryan Gosling. Let’s break down how Ryan Gosling lives a Notable 360-degree existence…
Professional:
These days, you can’t browse Apple TV or Netflix, or go to the movie theatre, without seeing this 31-year-old London native’s face splashed all over the screen. The Notebook hottie has made a huge comeback since 2010, when Blue Valentine premiered at TIFF. It is safe to say that his career is on an all-time high and doesn’t show signs of slowing down. He doesn’t seem to take a break from making films and seems to choose his films carefully as they are many blockbusters and award season favourites. If they had started to lose interest after falling in love with Gosling after The Notebook, females fell back in love with 2011’s Crazy, Stupid Love.
He has deservedly earned an Academy Award nomination and has definitely shown his range in very different back-to-back films in the past year or so. Recent projects include the thriller Drive, where he plays a stunt driver/getaway man/killer with a weak heart; Lawless, co-staring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara; Gangster Squad, in which he plays a cop in Los Angeles; The Place Beyond the Pines, a drama about a motorcycle stunt driver; and, of course, the political drama The Ides of March alongside George Clooney, where he plays a skilled press secretary who finds himself caught in a game of dirty politics. He recently missed The Golden Globes shooting Only God Forgives, a mixed martial arts thriller set in Bangkok.
Many Gosling fans have been up in arms about his recent Ides of March Oscar snub but, like a true professional, Gosling is gracious and composed even in defeat. When asked recently if he felt snubbed by the absent Oscar nomination, Ryan simply said “No.” He has his sights set on expanding his career breadth as well, and has been vocal about venturing into the world of directing.
Social:
Ryan seems to have a balanced social life. If he is a closet party boy, he certainly keeps this under wraps. He is always out at all the events he needs to be, and is known to hit the town with friends without letting himself become defined by his partying. After all, he’s probably way too busy.
His seemingly perfect relationship with fellow Canadian Rachel MacAdams, who he met on the set of The Notebook (whose real-life romance he has famously called a hell of a lot more romantic than the film) unraveled in 2007, but Ryan is respectful and has nothing but good things to say about her, or his other famous ex Sandra Bullock, for that matter. Ryan is known to keep many of his pre-fame friends, some of who are from Toronto.
Charity:
Ryan manages to find time to do charity work, and certainly not the bare minimum, either. In April, Ryan traveled with the ENOUGH Project to eastern Congo to witness first-hand the effects of war there, a cause he feels the general public is not educated on and he is outspoken for. He also wrote an op-ed with ENOUGH Project’s co-founder John Prendergas and produced the video Raise Hope for Congo to raise awareness of the world’s most deadly war at the time. In addition, he was also involved in many projects to develop the country’s infrastructure and contributed to building a hospital there. Other causes that Gosling has supported include PETA, Invisible Children, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music and Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Living:
Those rock hard abs and sculpted arms are the product of hard work and a regular workout routine. He was recently seen leaving a Muay Thai class, presumably to get into shape for his new film Only God Forgives, currently shooting in Bangkok.
In general, Ryan Gosling seems to keep a low profile and have a nice guy reputation. It is difficult to find too many negative attacks on his character, now matter how closely you search. We also love the fact that the fame has not gone to his head, as it can when people are met with such success at a young age. One of our favourite quotes to prove this is: “Well, I’m not that good looking. I’m a pretty weird-looking guy. I know that, but that’s the magic of movies. If you play somebody who’s the romantic lead, it casts that spell and people believe that about you”
We have witnessed a complete style transformation in Ryan from his humble beginnings to the style icon he is today. His fashion is impeccable, though the same can’t necessarily be said for earlier days in his career (Google him at at the Murder by Numbers 2002 premiere). Whether It’s looking suave in a perfectly-tailored suit on the red carpet or casual dressing while out in public, Ryan always pulls it off. His trademark looks include everything from Italian tuxedos to slim-fitting trousers with loafers and a classic white v-neck.
Photo courtesy IMDB