Ryan 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.
