Ryan Gosling copied Marlon Brando's accent because Canadian didn't sound tough
As a boy in Ontario, Ryan Gosling decided his Canadian accent lacked menace and began modelling his voice on Marlon Brando. He could not read at ten, was homeschooled by his mother, and at twelve became a Mouseketeer alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. His films as a lead have since grossed over US$4 billion.
Gosling was born on November 12, 1980, in London, Ontario, to a travelling paper-mill salesman and a secretary, and was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The family moved often, living in Cornwall and Burlington. Following his parents' divorce at age 13, he lived with his mother and older sister Mandi. School was miserable: he was bullied, was diagnosed with ADHD, and his mother quit her job to teach him at home for a year, which he said left him with lasting autonomy.
Performing was the one thing that earned praise. He sang at weddings with his sister, joined a local ballet company and appeared in his uncle's Elvis tribute act. On The All New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1995 he rarely got screen time, yet called it the best two years of his life. Teen television followed, including the lead in Young Hercules, filmed in New Zealand when he was 18.
At 19 he chose serious acting, lost his agent and fought the stigma of children's TV. His breakthrough was playing a young Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer, a 2001 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner; director Henry Bean felt a Mormon upbringing helped him grasp religious isolation. The film grossed only $416,925, but Gosling credits it with launching his career. The Notebook in 2004 made him a leading man, despite a famously prickly set with Rachel McAdams, with whom he later had a relationship.
Oscar nominations came for Half Nelson, La La Land and Barbie, his highest-grossing release. He directed Lost River in 2014, formed the band Dead Man's Bones, and co-owns a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills. His longtime partner is Eva Mendes.
Source: Ryan Gosling
