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Name in Stone by Dead Man’s Bones
The album’s out today… splurge on it, it’s only around $15 and worth the money!
linkRyan Gosling
Okay, so a lot of men are on the fence about this guy. I mean, after all, he was one half of the romantic couple in The Notebook, a film largely praised/lampooned for being the greatest, girliest chick flick of all time. Since that was, to date, his most successful and mainstream film, most people think of Mr. Gosling as just a “chick flick guy.” However, a look into his life and filmography reveals that he is actually quite the talented, lovable person, well deserving of a spot on the “loved” list. Here’s a few reasons why we love him:
- He’s a little bit shy. He isn’t fond of the whole Hollywood scene, preferring to live in downtown LA instead of Beverly Hills, since, in his own words, in downtown LA “you could do anything you wanted.” People who shun the limelight in an attempt to garner positive attention are not very lovable, but there’s something very genuine in his attempt to keep his head down—something that says says “I’m from pretty humble beginnings, I’ve been through a lot in my life, and I know that quiet is best.” Gotta love it—someone who could so easily be a sex symbol largely disappearing from the public eye.
- He makes really good movies. Say what you will about The Notebook, but it was a pretty good story, largely because of the chemistry between Ryan and Rachel McAdams (the two of whom dated for a pretty long period of time after the movie was over). Aside from that, though, we have the thoughtful and original Half-Nelson, the touchingly precious Lars and the Real Girl , the sleek and svelte Fracture, along with any number of movies he made before he became a big star— Remember the Titans, The Believer, The United States of Leland… oh, also…
- He’s a wonderful musician. Some of you know that Ryan got his start singing and dancing on the Mickey Mouse Club (along with Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera), but surprise, surprise—he carried those musical skills into his adult life, and he’s not just faking his way along. He can actually sing, sounding like kind of a hybrid of his own voice and softer Elvis, and he can play numerous instruments and write really good music. He and buddy Zach Shields (who he met when they were both dating McAdams sisters a while back) have formed a band based on the sound of Disney’s Haunted Mansion (intrigued yet?), a band called Dead Man’s Bones, whose first album is due to be released tomorrow, October 6th. Not convinced? Well, check their MySpace, where the full album is streaming. If nothing else, you should be able to agree that they’re refreshingly original.
- He loves his mother. He mentions her in almost every interview, he brings her to his awards shows, and it’s clear that he is grateful to her and absolutely adores her, all without coming across as a docile mama’s boy.
- This article. Yes, we linked to it before, but we really would love for you to read it.
“I would say that the kiddies give you strength - strength and perspective. Things that would’ve made me upset or angry before, or things about Hollywood, in magazines or paparazzi - stuff like that - now you can go, ‘Oh, piss off! I’m going to play Barbies with my daughter.’ And having a boy… I mean, it’s really shocking, the differences between a little girl and boy. She’s very elegant and everything has to be perfect, and my boy, he stands up and screams like some god-awful warrior, then runs straight into the wall!”
Johnny Depp
linkJohnny Depp
Some people think he’s overrated. Some people think he’s the go-to “weird guy”, that he’s Tim Burton’s lapdog… but Johnny Depp has provided a steady stream of good movies, both before he achieved mainstream fame and afterwards, for a good twenty-five years now. Here’s why we love him:
· He isn’t an attention whore. He intentionally moved away from America to evade the public eye and hold on to his privacy, and largely, he’s succeeded. He shows up when he wants to show up, and you never read scandalous stories about Johnny Depp’s behavior—because he maintains his solitude and behaves himself when he’s in the public eye. There are plenty of people who could learn from his example.
· He loves his family. He’s been with Vanessa Paradis, his girlfriend, for fifteen years or so now (a rare show of devotion in the world of the famous), and he adores his daughter Lily and his son Jack. With all of the confirmed bachelors, cheating husbands, and lax fathers wandering around Hollywood, it’s nice to see a genuine family man.
· This picture - Who doesn’t love people who are sweet to children?
· He’s generous. Johnny Depp doesn’t just throw money at charities once a year and say “Leave me alone till Christmas.” He puts some thought into what he gives—for instance, his latest headline-creating donation, $2 million to the hospital in which his daughter was treated when she was recently sick… but it wasn’t just the money. No, he personally visited the hospital to thank the doctors and nurses, and he dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow and spent some time with the sick children, entertaining them and regaling them with bedtime stories. He also crafted a personal video for a dying young boy who idolized him, telling him to “keep his chin up” and sending along his best wishes. He’s the very best kind of philanthropist—he understands the opportunities he has, and he takes them and uses them for the best.
· He’s a good actor and he makes good choices. No matter what you may think about his “typical sort of role”, Johnny Depp is very good at melting into his characters and making them unique. Captain Jack Sparrow, Ichabod Crane, Mort Rainey, Raoul Duke, Edward Scissorhands (to name a few) are all incredibly distinctive characters with distinctive characteristics, nowhere near alike. Typecast? Please. And, of course…
· Does the man ever age? He’s 46 years old as of June, and he’s still looking as spectacular as ever—if not better. If he is aging, then he’s doing so slowly and very gracefully, and we’re definitely enjoying it.
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