The Mickey Mouse Club may be where he started, but three-time Academy Award-nominee Ryan Gosling has solidified his place as one of the 21st century’s best actors. This gifted Canadian has lent his talents to over thirty movies during his impressive career, showing off his range across a wide variety of genres, from comedically perfect comedies like The Nice Guys to gritty actions and heartwrenching dramas like Blade Runner 2049 and Blue Valentine.

With an over three-decade career, Gosling’s filmography is impressive; there’s no doubt about that. He’s been steadily appearing in projects since the early 2000s, reaching the apex of critical and commercial success. In just over a month, his latest action adventure, The Fall Guy, releases in cinemas, and it’s already looking like a winner. But in the meantime, his job is “actor,” and he’s one of the best around. These movies represent the best of everybody’s favorite Ken, confirming his status as the new millennium’s perfect leading man.

10 ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ (2011)

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

2011’s comedy gold Crazy, Stupid, Love follows down-on-his-luck family man Cal Weaver, played by Steve Carell (The Office), as he deals with an impending divorce. While at a bar unloading his worries, ladies’ man Jacob Palmer, played by Gosling, overhears him harassing the bar’s patrons and deems it his goal to help him “rediscover his manhood.” As the movie progresses, they form an unlikely friendship.

At first glance, Crazy Stupid Love may look like an average cheesy romcom, but it’s so much more. The writing, fantastic performances, and down-to-earth moments make for a brilliantly entertaining watch from start to finish, and that unexpected twist at the end made it so much better. Crazy, Stupid, Love proves how much of a great comedy actor Gosling is, showing his expert timing is about as perfect as it could get.

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9 ‘Lars and the Real Girl’ (2007)

Director: Craig Gillespie

The highly-rated comedy-drama Lars and the Real Girl sees Ryan Gosling take on a vastly different character than his typical action star or comedy mastermind, and as usual, he absolutely shines. The film follows the story of a young man who buys a sex doll online and delves further and further into the belief that she is a real woman.

Lars and the Real Girl sees Gosling at his sweetest, bringing life to a gentle, introverted man looking for companionship. It’s a powerful portrayal of loneliness, fueled by Gosling’s brilliant work. The film earned Gosling his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy in 2007. His performance as the loveable, kind, yet socially awkward young man Lars Lindstrom helped fuel his career in its early stages.

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8 ‘Blue Valentine’ (2010)

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Before director Derek Cianfrance received praise for his work on the 2012 drama The Place Beyond the Pines, he worked alongside Ryan Gosling in the haunting romance Blue Valentine. The film sees Gosling and four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) as Dean and Cindy, a couple who embark on a heartbreaking exploration of love and how it doesn’t always work out with a fairytale ending.

Blue Valentine is arguably one of the most brutally honest and emotional depictions of marital dissolution and what happens to the parties involved when the union falls apart over time. And, with two Oscar-nominated actors fronting the film, it’s not surprising it packed one hell of an emotional punch. This tragic tale of love and loss earned Gosling his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, while Williams made it all the way to the Dolby Theater.

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7 ‘First Man’ (2018)

Director: Damien Chazelle

One of the best space movies in recent years came with the release of First Man in 2018. The critically acclaimed film from Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. It depicts the perilous efforts it took to achieve the mission of putting human beings on the moon, beginning with Armstrong’s journey prior to joining NASA and ending with a successful outcome on Apollo 11.

First Man was nominated for multiple awards for its cast performances, visual effects, musical score, directing, and many more. Its sound design is absolutely incredible and effective in sending chills down anyone’s spine, and its historical accuracy and storytelling capability are out of this world. Gosling’s performance as one of history’s most notable astronauts is one of his strongest dramatic portrayals. The actor captures Armstrong’s isolation in a profoundly incisive and internal performance that ranks among his finest.

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6 ‘Half Nelson’ (2006)

Director: Ryan Fleck

Gosling portrays a man who forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students when they find themselves on opposite ends of a connected drug issue in the 2006 emotional, heartfelt drama Half Nelson from director Ryan Fleck (Mississippi Grind). Dan’s students are the only thing that keeps him grounded as he struggles with addiction.

Half Nelson is an intimate depiction of loneliness and companionship bolstered by Gosling’s raw, unsentimental performance. With the actor’s subtle expressions and ability to convey pure emotion in this incredible story, it’s not hard to see why his career only skyrocketed following the film’s success. Gosling’s performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination at the age of just twenty-six years old, making him the eighth youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

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5 ‘La La Land’ (2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle

One of Damien Chazelle’s best movies came in 2016 with the musical romance La La Land. This fantastic film received over 300 award nominations, sweeping audiences off their feet with its outstanding musical score, heartfelt cast performances, and stunning visuals. It follows Sebastian and Mia, two lovers who embark on a journey of love, life, and everything that accompanies having a dream in modern-day Los Angeles.

La La Land is a visually beautiful movie that leaves its audiences with a warm feeling in their hearts. Hopeful yet melancholic, the film is an ode to chasing one’s dreams with a memorably bittersweet ending. La La Land sees Gosling at his most charming, joined by the ever-reliable, two-time Oscar-winning Emma Stone (Poor Things). For many, La La Land will always remain a favorite, and it’s not hard to see why this tribute to 1950s Hollywood musicals resonated so well among so many people.

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4 ‘Barbie’ (2023)

Director: Greta Gerwig

The smash hit that is the 2023 Barbie movie solidified its place as one of the best toy movies ever made when this World of Plastic came to life on the big screen and became a huge success. The film grossed over $1 billion at the box office, and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) quickly became one of the most prominent filmmakers set to go far in her career.

When thinking of Barbie, it’s easy to assume the latest adaptation will follow the same tropes of others in the character’s shadow, but this movie is so much more. Yes, it’s comedically cheesy and downright hilarious in places, but it’s also an incredibly moving experience while highlighting some sensitive issues for both men and women in the Real World and reflecting them in Barbieland and vice versa. Gosling shines as Ken, Barbie’s adoring partner who longs to be corresponded by her. Gosling walks a fine line between absurdity and genuine pathos, taking what could easily be just a plastic icon and turning him into a profoundly relatable figure who’s more than kenough.

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3 ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)

Director: Ridley Scott

For a sequel to a movie as beloved as the first Blade Runner to do as well as it did is incredibly impressive. The stigma that all sequels are bad was well and truly crushed when the highly anticipated next installment in the franchise came in 2017 with the release of Blade Runner 2049. Ryan Gosling stars as Officer K in the neo-noir action film from director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival).

The film stays true to its source material with its foundation and the presence of Harrison Ford (Raiders of the Lost Ark). However, it also sets itself as a distinctive entry by expanding the visually stunning universe and exploring Officer K, as his character’s story is a constant cause for question. The five-time Academy Award-nominated movie was a hit for many reasons and remains a favored sequel for many fans. Blade Runner 2049 also cements Gosling as a unique leading man who brings a more reflexive approach to his characters, even in big blockbusters.

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2 ‘Drive’ (2011)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Drive centers on a mysterious unnamed man only referred to as the Driver in this 2011 success story. He works as a stunt driver for movies, a getaway driver, and a mechanic to get by, mostly keeping to himself. But the film takes audiences through his connection with a neighbor and her young son, exploring his want to help her out of trouble when her husband is released from prison and problems arise.

Ryan Gosling stars in the lead role alongside a stellar cast also including Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and an utterly captivating Albert Brooks (Broadcast News). One of the best arthouse action movies to date, Drive is a triumph thanks to its precise pacing, stellar performances, stunning cinematography, and inspired direction. Its slow-burn beginning culminates with one of the best-written and harrowing yet cathartic endings. At the center of it all is Gosling, giving an interiorized yet evocative performance that ranks among his best, contributing to making Drive one of the most critically acclaimed films of the 2010s.

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1 ‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)

Director: Shane Black

Russell Crowe (Gladiator) and Ryan Gosling star in this criminally underrated action comedy from 2016. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, Gosling portrays a man by the name of Holland March, a private investigator who gets caught up with some bad people while working a case.

The Nice Guys has steadily grown in popularity since its release almost ten years ago. However, it remains one of the most under-appreciated films of the 2010s. Gosling shines as the clumsy and goofy Holland, and his comedic timing makes him quite the character to quickly fall in love with. His on-screen chemistry with Crowe’s Jackson Healy is amazing, and watching the two grow closer and more chaotic as the film progresses is very fun to see. The Nice Guys is a hidden gem of a movie and just about everything one could want for a buddy cop adventure, and Gosling’s most purely enjoyable film so far.

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