Ryan Gosling’s Stellar Career: Ranking His Top Performances – From Disney Darling to Hollywood Heartthrob!

Ryan Gosling has never failed to amaze us in his incredible journey from a child actor to a global star. Here is a ranking of some of his best performances.

Ryan Gosling’s Best Performances, Ranked ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Ryan Gosling has time and again, proven himself to be one of the best actors of his generation. His ability to play diverse characters with the same conviction speaks volumes about his versatility. Beginning his career as a child artist on Disney Channel, the actor transitioned into films after growing up and soon became the heartthrob of Hollywood.

From playing a hardcore lover to an aloof astronaut, Gosling has brought nuance and depth to each of his performances in a career spanning over two decades. As Ryan Gosling continues to shine bright, here are some of his best performances that have impressed us the most.

10. The Believer (2001)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )

Gosling’s breakthrough performance came in the year 2001 with The Believer, where he played the difficult part of Danny Balint, a young Jewish Nazi who adopts an anti-Semitic mindset and faces conflict between his beliefs and his heritage. Gosling was hailed as the main reason behind the movie’s success for his flawless portrayal of the morally confused youngster.

9. First Man (2018)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
For the 2018 Damien Chazelle directorial First Man, Gosling stepped into the shoes of Neil Armstrong. The actor not only adopted the mannerisms of the first man to set foot on the moon but also masterfully captured the character’s mental state, who lost his two-year-old daughter not too long before the mission. Gosling captured the hearts of the viewers with his nuanced depiction of the well-known astronaut’s life.

8. The Nice Guys (2016)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )

The Nice Guys gave the world a look at Gosling’s comic timing as he played Holland March, a private detective with not-so-good luck. He reluctantly partners with a hired enforcer, Jackson Healy, played by Russell Crowe, to investigate the disappearance of a girl and the death of a porn star. With the film, Gosling showcased that he has the talent to tickle the funny bones of the audience. Owing to his camaraderie with Crowe, the two were described as the ‘funniest duo of the year.’

7. The Notebook (2004)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
The 2004 romantic drama The Notebook is considered a benchmark in Gosling’s career, as the actor shot to superstardom with his role as Noah, a mill worker who falls for the elite girl Allison “Allie” Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) in the 1940s. However, their love story faces obstacles due to differences in their societal stature. Gosling put up an intense show in the film, making The Notebook one of his most memorable performances.

6. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Another film featuring Gosling in a complex character is the comedy-drama Lars and the Real Girl. The actor earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of a man who suffers from haphephobia, the fear of being touched, due to his childhood traumas, which leads to social awkwardness. Owing to his condition, he ends up in a romantic but nonsexual relationship with a sex doll. Playing the titular role, Gosling expressed complicated emotions effortlessly and received nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

5. Blue Valentine (2010)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Blue Valentine solidified Gosling’s status in the industry as a bona fide romantic hero. The actor starred as Dean, whose dysfunctional marriage with Cindy (Michelle Williams) crumbled over the years. The film presented different stages of the couple’s relationship in a non-linear manner, which allowed Gosling to portray a wide range of emotions. The depth that the actor brought to the role has been widely appreciated.

4. Drive (2011)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Gosling’s outstanding performance in the 2011 movie Drive demonstrated that he could carry off an action role with ease. He played the Driver, a mysterious stuntman who gets entangled with gangsters while attempting to defend his lady love and her husband. With his refined performance, Gosling brought various shades of the Driver to life and landed nominations at several award ceremonies.

3. Barbie (2023)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
While Gosling claimed to be ‘just Ken,’ his act in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie proved otherwise. The actor, who starred opposite Margot Robbie, did an incredible job embodying the male doll, whose character graph undergoes a significant transition during the movie. From his mannerisms and body language to his dialog delivery, everything in his performance was pitch-perfect, which earned him the Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

2. La La Land (2016)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
La La Land, the movie that propelled Ryan Gosling to global stardom, comes in at number two on the list. In this romantic musical, a struggling pianist and an aspiring actress fall in love, but they eventually realize they will have to choose between their love and careers. With his stellar act as the jazz pianist and his sizzling chemistry with Emma Stone, Gosling mesmerized the audience and won a Golden Globe Award while also scoring an Academy nomination.

1. Half Nelson (2006)

( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Gosling was in the early phase of his career when he surprised everyone with his raw and emotional performance in Half Nelson as Dan Dunne, a history teacher battling drug addiction. Dune forges an unlikely friendship with a 13-year-old student facing her own issues, and the two help each other through their struggles. Gosling immersed himself completely in the character and skillfully portrayed his vulnerabilities, earning his first Academy nomination for Best Actor.