Ryan Gosling got ‘Notebook’ role because he’s neither “handsome” nor “cool”

Here are some more photos of Ryan Gosling on the set of Gangster Squad to update from the last batch. He’s a pretty handsome guy, and I can definitely see what all the fuss is about even if he doesn’t really float my boat. I think it goes back not so much to watching him on “Mickey Mouse Club” (because I didn’t really watch much Disney in my own youth) but more of memories from his stint on “Breaker High.” To me, he still looks like the same young pseudo punk, and there’s still too much “eau de faking it” to be found in Gosling’s demeanor. Sure, he’s a fine actor and looks great in motion, but I can’t help but feel uneasy when checking out these freeze frame shots like he’s trying to pull a fast one on the entirety of the world:

Maybe it’s just me though or perhaps it’s the whole nice guy who does ballet and just wants to find The One while he simultaneously tries to hide his DUI past and lets his bad dog pee in the corner at yoga class routine. It just bugs, you know? Here’s more of Ryan with co-star Josh Brolin, who is a legitimate badass (not necesarily a good thing in real life either) and looks completely natural in these shots:

At the moment, however, Ryan is promoting something besides Gangster Squad, which is still filming. Maybe he’s kickstarting his own personal Oscar campaign or thinking of dumping Eva Mendes and taking some other chick to Disneyland. No telling what he’s up to really, but Ryan has dredged up his 2004 turn in The Notebook (the adaptation of yet another schmaltzy Nicholas Sparks novel). Ryan wants us all to know that he wasn’t cast for his good looks; on the contrary, he asserts that the role arrived courtesy of his “regular guy” nature and the fact that he is neither “handsome” or “cool.” Um, okay:

Millions of women and men would disagree with director Nick Cassavetes — who cast a then-unknown Ryan Gosling in The Notebook because, well, he wasn’t that cute.

Now one of the most sought-after hunks in Hollywood, the Drive actor, 31, was just a Mickey Mouse Club alum and indie movie actor when Cassavetes was casting for his now-beloved 2004 romantic film.

“The director, Nick Cassavetes, called me to meet him at his house,” Gosling tells British magazine Company. “When I got there, he was standing in his back yard, and he looked at me and said, ‘I want you to play this role because you’re not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. You’re not handsome. you’re not cool, you’re just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts.'”

Gosling went on to star in the smash film opposite fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams — whom he dated and was briefly engaged to.

And despite his leading man status today, Gosling tells the mag he grew up a “lonely child. I didn’t do well at school and TV was my only friend.”

It was watching the small screen that inspired him to go Hollywood himself. “Then, one day, I saw Raquel Welch on The Muppet Show. She was dancing with this big furry spider and I immediately fell in love. She was the first crush I ever had, and I thought, ‘How do I get to meet this woman?’ And then I thought, ‘Well, she’s on TV, so to meet her I have to get on TV myself.'”

[From Us Magazine]

So basically, Ryan is pushing the image of being a lonely child and an ugly duckling that was pushed out of his shell after becoming enraptured with the likes of Raquel Welch, who is completely gorgeous and a very glamorous sex symbol in her own right. Yet she’s not the typical crush for a budding young actor, right? Hmm.

Photos courtesy of Fame

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77 Responses to “Ryan Gosling got ‘Notebook’ role because he’s neither “handsome” nor “cool””

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  1. layla says:

    Fact. He is neither handsome nor cool.
    Now, if only he actually THOUGHT that himself.

    Ugh. His act is getting so very grating…and as see thru and pathetic as Blake Lively’s “game”.

    They deserve each other.

  2. Aria says:

    I don’t get his appeal. He’s ok but not “wow, the sexiest man alive”. I prefer Michael Fassbender or James Mcavoy.

  3. Eve says:

    I agree with him: indeed, he’s neither cool or handsome.

    • Turtle Dove says:

      lol. Glad to ‘see’ you Eve. 🙂

      I think that he’s handsome. Nice body, seems intelligent, but BOTH Ryans have killed my stan. I was tingly for both, but the showmances, posing for the cameras, etc. killed the love. Now all I am seeing is a phoney when I look at either of their pictures.

      eve… I may be joining your side of the thread very soon.

      • Eve says:

        Turtle Dove, come to the dark side.

        To be perfectly honest: I didn’t use to dislike Gosling. And it may look like I hate him now but I don’t (yet). It all began with the whole “Gosling is the hottest guy/best actor of his generation” by the media. And then he was everywhere. And here on Celebitchy’s threads: if you didn’t agree with that “you had to be blind” and so on…

        I don’t like when people try to push things (or fashion, or a concept) down my throat. So what was plain indifference became annoyance. And now I’m avoiding the movies he’s in (something I didn’t use to do before).

        I could be completely wrong but the more I pay attention to him, the more I have the feeling that the super nice guy thing is an act — and the douchebag vibe I get from him is the real thing.

  4. heatheradair says:

    Someone else knows about breaker high – !!!!! Did you also, then, happen to catch him on Young Hercules? Because THAT was a cult hit to end all cult hits (er, for kids in that 12-18 age bracket who were home in the afternoons). I may or may not own a pirated version of the series on DVD.

    By the by, that whole Breaker High thing is the reason I can’t take him seriously as a heartthrob, myself. Sort of the “i knew him back when” syndrome. He’s eternally teenaged and dweeby, to me……

    • Samigirl says:

      He was SUCH a dweeb in Breaker High. I thought he was the cutest thing. Still do. I love him 🙂

    • Obvious says:

      Never got Breaker High ,but i did get Young Hercules. lol. i thought he was so cute then and now i’m jsut like i want the gosdong lol.

    • podzol says:

      Me too! Sean “Seandez-vous” Hanlon will always stick to the forefront of my mind when I think of Gosling’s megawattage now amongst film critics, ladies, gents, whatever else.

      I used to think it was the greatest series on (Y)TV, but watching a couple of episodes lately on YouTube made me realize Ryan Gosling, Tyler Labine and Ashlee Dupree were pretty much the only decent actors out of the bunch!

  5. kristipistol says:

    I think he’s so sexy

  6. maggie grace says:

    God I love him.

  7. Jen says:

    Ugh please. His self-deprecating good guy act is nothing more than a huge f’n sham.

  8. Bubulle says:

    I think he is really good looking but also can see why some people don’t find him hot. That being said I’m not sold on his acting abilities I find him a little bit too bland, IMHO Michael Fassbender is way better.

    • Dani says:

      Hmm, not into either. I prefer Hugh Jackman, Tom Welling, or Gabriel Aubry. Those are the triumvirate for me.

  9. someone says:

    i get why people think he’s sketchy, but i’ve heard some nice stories about him too! his parents actually live in the same city that i live in (or at least his mother) and countless people have told me they’ve seen him around at grocery stores and even the nail salon (haha i don’t even know) and he’s been genuinely sweet and down-to-earth, but meh—who knows these days?

  10. whatevs says:

    ia he’s neither handsome nor cool, nor talented for that matter, so why the hell does he keep getting roles?

  11. mika says:

    I LOVED HIM ON BREAKER HIGH! The other dudes on that absolutely horrible show were muscle-y and plastic, Ryan was the class clown you actually had a chance with!

    I have to say I’m surprised he turned out sexy after that show.

  12. Ari says:

    Fine as wine.

  13. gab says:

    I respect his acting lately – I’m unfamiliar with earlier tv stuff. But I think he’s got some acting chops. Loved him in Blue Valentine, Lars and the Real Girl and Crazy Stupid Love. And about the DUI? He f’d up and moved on. What else can one do?

  14. Anna says:

    He needs to go away for a while. I love him but he’s been getting on my nerves lately. Is Bedhead Canadian? I only ask because only Canadians know of Breaker High.

  15. carrie says:

    he’s really good-looking since his nose job and the first time that i saw him was THE BELIEVER

    i don’t believe he really thinks he was not handsome at this time:he was Sandra Bullock’s boyfriend (a woman who loves the good-looking guys since her marriage)

  16. The Original Denise says:

    There is something about him I just can’t like…..he he just too aware of the camera.

  17. jess says:

    I love Josh Brolin

  18. Kit says:

    it’s inevitable that stories get repeated but every interview lately seems to be the same thing. It always feels like I’ve already read it somewhere. Is there nothing more to this guy?
    I support him as an actor – he’s really good IMO – but yeah, he needs to get out of the light for a year or so

  19. iseepinkelefants says:

    His whole shtick screams art school project. He’s like Lady Gaga in disguise. Everything is put on.

  20. BNF says:

    I love Josh Brolin!!!! Can he be in the next Hot Guy post!?!?!?

  21. Anodyne says:

    I am not a crusher on male celebrities. I have no “list” of okay hook ups (a la Friends) but boy, I would eat that man alive given the chance – and minus my husband. Something about him is so irresistibly sexy…. I dont know why but it just is.

  22. Danielle says:

    Is The Notebook being released again? Why is he bringing it now years later?

  23. Callumna says:

    The “he is too aware of the camera” thing really resonates with me.

    In every shot he reminds me of the way a young guy walks around strutting and posing and trying way to hard to be nonchalant like an outlaw. All this when he thinks a girl he likes is watching.

    And she’s kinda not.

  24. Marjalane says:

    information in this post was stuff I’d read that he’d said a long time ago- I think it’s being used out of context. I also find him yummy, but less yummy than before he hooked up with Eva Mendes. Her skeeve knocked him down a few points.

  25. Lena says:

    He’s right, he’s not handsome… but he’s soooooo so sexy and talented. Yum! Love him!

    • Lena says:

      Oh and by the way… he’s not promoting anything at the moment and he’s not campaigning for an oscar nod (I love him even more for that). This quote is from an old interview.

    • royan says:

      YES, YES, YES! He has everything he needs!Missing only …..

  26. TheOriginalKitten says:

    “perhaps it’s the whole nice guy who does ballet and just wants to find The One while he simultaneously tries to hide his DUI past and lets his bad dog pee in the corner at yoga class routine”

    Why can’t he be both? Most people aren’t caricatures-they’re a combination of good qualities and flaws. I don’t think he’s ever tried to perpetuate an “image”-I think the media has taken excerpts from some of his interviews out of context. Between that and the “Hey girl..” meme, they’ve tried to make him into some emo hearthrob. Truth is that he’s neither sensitive romantic nor badass punk-he’s really just a guy who is very, very devoted to his craft-one of the most talented actors right now and probably a relatively multi-faceted person in real life. I doubt he could bring so much depth to his movie roles if he wasn’t..

  27. MellaYella says:

    Well, he has my respect. He is one of the best actors. I saw him in Lars and The Real Girl, he should have been nominated for an Oscar for that role. I cried over a doll.. Lol!

  28. dahlia1947 says:

    Yeah he seems to be a little into himself and like the guy that would let his dog pee in the corner..But he was HOT in the Notebook!

    And he’s really doing it for me in these shots! The clothes, the cigarrette! HOT HOT HOT! I am seeing this movie BTW!

  29. Turtle Dove says:

    PS – I TOTALLY agree that Josh Brolin is a badass. Now this is a guy that has it together. Great career (now). Gorgeous wife. NO SHOWMANCING and POSING.

    I read the linked article about the Robin Wright situation. Someone commented they were surprised that Sean Penn didn’t lay a beating on Josh for flirting with his wife… yeah…. right. Sean wouldn’t stand a chance against Josh.

    • taxi says:

      Neither did Diane when Josh smacked her. That arrest made the news too, but I guess charges were dropped. He has booze issues too.

  30. Lukie says:

    “Then, one day, I saw Raquel Welch on The Muppet Show. She was dancing with this big furry spider and I immediately fell in love. She was the first crush I ever had, and I thought, ‘How do I get to meet this woman?’ And then I thought, ‘Well, she’s on TV, so to meet her I have to get on TV myself.’”

    Annnnnd so he settled for Eva Mendes….

  31. Launicaangelina says:

    I don’t get the hate! I think he’s hot and sexy.

  32. Evie says:

    douche

  33. normades says:

    DUI, nose job, hard drugs, asshole to Rachel…lots of unflattering rumors surrounding this guy.

    The most accurate comments from people who have worked with him are that he is very polite but uncomfortably shy. In the Notebook DVD bonus Cassevettes says he picked Ryan because he was one of the few actors he knew who seemed “weird enough” to meet a girl once and stalk her for the rest of her life.

    I think like all big actors who started young (Leo, Shia etc) he has a Peter Pan and “Mommy is perfect” complex.

    That said I think he’s an awesome actor and utterly charming in interviews.

    • normades says:

      And like it or not no one has managed their career better than Ryan. He laid low for years after the Notebook and now we are seeing him everywhere and everyone loves him and wants to work with him. He avoided becoming a heart throb or doing blockbuster fare (strategy that worked well for Depp and Pitt). This is your future A-list.

  34. JaneWonderfalls says:

    Wow you can’t win with people if he was super confident people who say he was arrogant, now that he is self aware people have a problem, People have to realize just because others see you a certain way does not mean that is how he see’s himself.

    • shontay says:

      Exactly! People are piling on to say “yeah, he’s not cool or handsome” or “he’s such a phony”. Heaven forbid he actually said “yeah I’m good looking and I know it”.

  35. machiavelli says:

    I remember watching him on Breaker High, and thinking that he is going places.

  36. tooey says:

    I love him, but in motion is definitely best; he has an odd beauty that sometimes looks off. Saw “Drive” this weekend. A STINKER! Even he couldn’t save that one.

  37. Taytay says:

    Um you people gushing over Josh Brolin, PLEASE tell me you’re just ignorant about the fact that he’s been arrested multiple times for assault, and once for beating his wife

    • Happy21 says:

      He got arrested for a bar fight which happens all the time. Men drinking alcohol always fight. Its been happening for eternity. In the wild west days they didn’t fight they had a gun fight. Shit happens. As far as the assault on Diane Lane that happened in 2004 and from what I can recall and from what I gleaned when I refereshed my memory just now, it seems like it was a misunderstanding between him, his wife and the police.

  38. shontay says:

    Too much snark in this post. Ryan is a fantastic actor and I don’t care if he’s telling the truth about doing ballet or trying to be cool. At least it doesn’t seem like he’s got all the skeletons in his closet that his contemporaries seem to possess. His interviews are entertaining.

    He is a good looking guy, but not perfect. His appeal is in his humor and talent. Some of you look for any little reason to bring someone down like your ish smells like roses.

  39. Jordan says:

    He is starting to get on my nerves with his fakery, but I don’t see him stopping since it seems to be working for him (people standing out in the rain protesting him not getting SMA, really?). If he had said Nick didn’t think he was conventionally handsome, I wouldv’e bought it, but no, what director would say, ‘Hey! You’re not handsome and you look a little insane, please be the romantic lead in one of the few successful movies I’ve ever made!’ Plus, has anyone asked him about the whole SMA protesting? B/c they asked Bradley Cooper about it several times, you would think Ryan would have said something humble and praising Bradley, etc.

    • emma says:

      He hasn’t said anything to Bradley because His Fakeness thinks he deserves the Sexiest Man Alive. He can’t even pretend humility. He has started to believe the fake hype built up by him and his team.

      • Mel says:

        Basically he hasn’t said anything because he hasn’t given an interview since he was promoting Ides.

  40. Hm says:

    I never thought he was attractive until I saw him in interviews – very appealing personality.

  41. ML says:

    He was phenomenal in “Lars and the real Girl”, “Blue Valentine” and “Drive”, and hopefully he keeps choosing interesting projects. I like him, he seems to be genuine but also a bit immature. But he is only 30 – he is learning things the hard way I guess.

  42. emma says:

    He’s pathetic. I don’t know why the media insists on pushing him on everyone. He’s fug and does not deserve Sexiest Man Alive so he and his fans needs to sit down.

  43. podzol says:

    There was a period where I was annoyed by certain things he said/certain moves he made but I chalk it up to being eccentric and overthinking a bit what the public should think of him. I don’t think it warrants all the posts bashing him nor all the comments writing him off like he’s Kellan Lutz or Kim Kardashian. But this downward slope has started since he dated Blake Lively. Blame the Lively! Heh jk.

  44. Love Angie. says:

    Ugly and has minus zero charisma and screen presence. At least Rob Pat has zero charisma and screen presence.

  45. I Choose Me says:

    Eh. He’s got insecurity issues methinks. (Who doesn’t?) I also think he’s a little bit eccentric but he pushes that eccentricity. Tries to sell it. Hence the aura of the try-hard. He’s a bit too studied, too stylised and polished. I see it. I acknowledge it.

    But I dunno, he just does it for me. He’s still one of my major celebrity crushes. I still want to do things to him that I’m sure are illegal in several countries. 😛

  46. Brannie says:

    He’s telling the truth about his past. I read an interview he gave YEARS ago, before The Notebook. He spoke about being bullied, having no friends, etc.

    I think he’s lovely. A great actor and sexy as sin.

  47. chlee says:

    I’m a big fan, I admit, although I do not like him with Eva Mendes. I think praise about his acting is based more on the roles he chooses, as compared to other young male actors, rather than his acting ability. Yes, I think he’s a good actor, but I like that he chooses different roles. He’s not just playing a super hero or the boyfriend in a rom com all the time, he’s also choosing some different movies. That’s what sets him apart for me.

  48. Anna says:

    Isn’t this an old interview? He has always say the same things even before he became famous. Either he’s really like this or it has always been an act since he started in 2002 or something.

  49. Laura says:

    He looks like Aaron Staton as Cole Phelps in LA Noire.