I grew up in a family of strong women and I owe any capacity I have to understand women to my mother and big sister. They taught me to respect women in a way where I've always felt a strong emotional connection to women, which has also helped me in the way I approach my work as an actor.

Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12 1980) is a Canadian actor director writer and musician. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised an "electrifying and terrifyingly convincing" performance while Todd McCarthy of Variety felt his "dynamite performance" could "scarcely have been better". In September 2010 they performed at Los Angeles' FYF Festival.

2011 proved to be a landmark year for the actor as he appeared in three mainstream films – the romantic comedy Crazy Stupid Love the political drama The Ides of March and the thriller Drive – and received two Golden Globe nominations. He began his career as a child star on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club (1993–95) and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs including Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995) Goosebumps (1996) Breaker High (1997–98) and Young Hercules (1998–99). His performance as a drug-addicted teacher in Half Nelson (2006) was nominated for an Academy Award and his performance as a socially inept loner in Lars and the Real Girl (2007) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.