Ryan Gosling struggled with learning as a school kid, but that did not stop him from pursuing acting.

Ryan Gosling has been one of the most popular actors in Hollywood for decades. He began acting as a young kid and rose to prominence by 13. He has appeared in some of the best independent films and major studio features in his career, spanning nearly three decades.

Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049

For someone as charismatic and talented as Gosling, one would assume he has had it easy since the start. However, that is not the case in reality. The actor has had his fair share of struggles when he was growing up. That, however, did not interfere with his journey of becoming one of the best actors or earning 3 Oscar nominations.

Ryan Gosling Had Trouble With Learning When He Was in School

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in La La Land

The Blade Runner 2049 star once admitted that he had a learning disability, which made it hard for him not to feel ashamed about it. He was often teased for this by his peers and classmates. This did not help him at all.

As he revealed in an interview with GQ, Gosling’s self-confidence could feel his self-confidence being affected. He said:

“My sense of worth was impacted. I know, they started feathering me into some special education classes and things like that.”

The actor explained how he became a rebel for this reason, saying:

“I didn’t feel very smart. They kept passing me in school even though I didn’t know how to do things I should have known how to do. Like, I couldn’t read … I couldn’t absorb any of the information, so I caused trouble.” 

Having difficulty with reading or learning is not something to feel embarrassed about. However, Gosling was made to feel otherwise.

Ryan Gosling Proved His Worth by Becoming a Successful Actor

Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie

After having trouble in school, Ryan Gosling‘s mother homeschooled him for a year. Then, he dropped out of high school to work on his acting career. Although schooling is important for a person’s growth, being a high school dropout has not affected his career. Needless to say, it worked in his favour considering he has achieved great feats as an actor.

Gosling’s first major role was in the Disney show The Mickey Mouse Club, in which he starred alongside future stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. The role of a neo-Nazi in the 2001 movie The Believer when he was 19 served as his breakout in the industry.

Three years later, he starred alongside Rachel McAdams in the romantic drama The Notebook, which earned him greater recognition. He famously appeared alongside Emma Stone in Damien Chazelle’s musical drama La La Land, which earned him his second Oscar nomination after he received the first for his performance in the 2006 movie Half Nelson.

Last year, Gosling starred as Ken alongside Margot Robbie’s Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s award-winning drama Barbie. He earned his third Academy Award nomination for the role and his performance was praised by audiences and critics alike.