Let look back at Ryan Gosling’s colorful childhood.
Ryan when he was younger and now (Image: Getty/ABC)
Ryan Gosling may be known as “just Ken” since his role in the Barbie movie but before that, he has had an incredible acting career in Hollywood as well as a wild childhood.
Since shooting to fame on ABC’s Micky Mouse Clubhouse (MMC), along with the likes of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, Ryan, 43, became one of the world’s most famous and loved actors.
Ryan has become a household name as a result of his looks, performances, and incredible career, which includes some of the most successful and highly acclaimed films of the last two decades.
But most people are unaware of numerous fascinating details about Ryan’s early life and childhood so The Daily Express US has decided to take a deeper dive to honor his 43rd birthday.
Ryan starring in Mickey Mouse Club in the late 80s (Image: ABC)
Ryan was brought up MormonThe Notebook actor, who lived in Canada for most of his life, was brought up in a Mormon family.
Speaking about his upbringing in an interview with Beliefnet, he explained: “I was raised as a Mormon. My parents were Mormons; I wasn’t truly one. I was never really able to relate to it. There are benefits to attending church.
His mother had a special interest in the church, which follows the tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smit.
Ryan also explained his Morman childhood to The Guardian: “I was socialized early on since I am a Mormon. We had a quite devout upbringing. You were reared by a religious fanatic, my mother acknowledges. Although that was a part of everything at the time, she is different now.”
Ryan and Justin posing together when they were younger (Image: X @historyinpics)
He once lived with Justin Timberlake
While it is believed Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake are not as close as they once were – they used to be best friends as kids.
The duo were such good friends that the Cry Me A River singer’s mom was in fact Ryan’s legal guardian.
The pair met on The Mickey Mouse Club, in which Ryan and Justin co-starred, and after the actor’s mother left for Canada, Justin’s mother took him in.
According to Justin: “The second year we were on the show, his mother had to continue working in Canada. Because we had to share a restroom, we were definitely a little closer than the other kids on the show.”
Ryan during the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival (Image: Getty)
He required special education
It appeared Ryan struggled academically throughout his time at school.
The star claimed that he did not do well in school and recalled reportedly only had subpar grades.
Speaking to GQ, Ryan revealed: “I was struggling in school and simply couldn’t recall what the teachers were saying. I thought it was difficult for me even though it appeared to be easier for everyone else.
“My sense of worth was impacted,” he admitted as he recalled: “I know, they started feathering me into some special education classes and things like that.”
He once “threw steak knives” at his classmates
Ryan appeared to channel his inner Rambo by hurling steak knives at kids during the short time he was at school.
In what is maybe the funniest and most disturbing Ryan Gosling tale, The National Post claimed that Ryan was inspired to play Rambo after seeing First Blood as a young child.
As per the publication, Ryan brought steak knives to school and flung them at other students during playtime in an attempt to mimic the fictional figure.
According to the actor himself, he said: “I was put on hold. My folks were frightened as well. They reasoned, “We can’t let him watch violent movies.”
Throughout his adolescence, Ryan attended a number of high schools, including Lester B. Pearson High School in Burlington, Ontario, and Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School in Cornwall, Ontario.
At the age of 17, the star left this school to dedicate his time to acting and the next year he relocated to New Zealand where he worked on the Young Hercules Fox Kids Network series.
