Ryan Gosling was raised in Ontario, Canada, and was homeschooled. He said that part of his life gave him a sense of autonomy, which significantly contributed to his success. At a young age, Gosling was into performing in front of crowds. Not just that, he was also in an Elvis Presley tribute band that his uncle led.

At only 12 years of age, he auditioned for Disney Channel in Montreal and got a two-year contract in “The Mickey Mouse Club,” and moved to Florida for the role. One minor project after another finally led Gosling to his international breakthrough, which was the 2004 film “The Notebook.”