The Year of Ryan Gosling

“One, two, three, four/ Bradley Cooper is a bore/ Five, six, seven eight/Ryan Gosling's super great.” No, this isn’t my halfhearted attempt at rhyming; these are the words that were chanted outside People Magazine’s headquarters at NYC’s Time-Life building after Bradley Cooper was named "Sexiest Man Alive" over fan-favorite Ryan Gosling. Around 15 individuals gathered together, equipped with Ryan Gosling masks and signs – in the rain – to protest the celebrity magazine’s lapse in judgment.

Hot off the heels of his incredible, heartbreaking performance in “Blue Valentine,” Gosling took 2011 by storm with three critically acclaimed movies (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Drive,” and “The Ides of March”), and scored Golden Globe nominations for two of them – he was the only actor nominated for best actor in both the comedy (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”) and drama (“The Ides of March”) categories. That’s not enough, you say? He was named Time Magazine’s "Coolest Person of the Year," has conquered the world of Tumblr memes (Feminist Ryan Gosling, F**k Yeah Ryan Gosling), and a video of him breaking up a street fight in New York City went viral (how heroic!).



So what is it about this guy that has suddenly captured everyone’s attention? Before this year, he was often referred to as “the guy from ‘The Notebook’” and was rarely mentioned at all. Still, ask any girl who her dream guy is, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his name comes up. He’s handsome, charming, polite, sensitive, and has that sort of bashful smile that gives off the vibe that he’s slightly embarrassed at all the attention he’s getting. So of course he’s a desirable choice to play the romantic lead.

Interestingly, Gosling has said in interviews that director of “The Notebook,” Nick Cassavetes, told Gosling he wanted him for the role for an entirely different reason, stating: “You're not handsome, you're not cool, you're just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts." Come again, Cassavetes?! While Gosling protestors (and every woman in America, for that matter), will vehemently disagree with Cassavete’s first two points, the third certainly has some truth; Gosling has the ability to communicate so much with just one intense look that words are often deemed superfluous.

This is especially true when he’s playing a character that’s not completely in his right mind. It is this attribute that most sets him apart from all the other leading men in Hollywood today. Gosling barely spoke in “Drive,” yet his ability to jump from sensitive and caring to a guy who could stomp someone’s brain in -- and his ability to make the transition to such violence not seem out of place -- is a great deal of what made the film work so well in the first place.

By the looks of it, this year isn’t going to be much different for Gosling. He has three films slated for 2012, including “Gangster Squad,” which he’ll star alongside “Crazy, Stupid, Love” co-star Emma Stone, as well as “The Place Beyond the Pines,” starring current girlfriend Eva Mendes and "Sexiest Man Alive" rival Bradley Cooper.

No matter the film, there are a few things we can always count on: His ability to make silence into an art form, that adorable Brooklynish accent (did you know he’s from Canada?!), and a overall aura of cool that makes him the closest thing our generation has to a James Dean figure.