Over the past few years, Ryan Gosling has put out some pretty interesting work. He’s one of many actors out there who seems to not only enjoy the projects he’s featured in, but also enjoys entertaining and experimenting when it comes to filmmaking. With the announcement of his Star Wars project with Shawn Levy, Star Wars: Starfighter, I wanted to take a look at five of his best performances in the past few years and see if they still hold up.
1.) The Fall Guy (2024)
He dies for a living on movies and TV. He’s Colt Seavers. Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman who, after getting injured the year before, is asked to come back into the world of stunts when the lead actor goes missing on a movie that his ex-girlfriend is directing. Things take a weird turn when a body shows up in the actor’s hotel room, and Seavers is thrown into the middle of a conspiracy. The Fall Guy is based on the original 1980s TV show that starred Lee Majors.
Ryan Gosling shines in this role as we see him go through the motions of being a stuntman and dealing with a mysterious murder on his hands. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Seavers and his friend, played by Winston Duke, take out some bad guys in the missing actor’s apartment using props from other movies collected by the actor. This film shows that Gosling can lead an action-packed comedy and honor those stunt people who work hard every day on movies and TV shows alike.
2.) The Nice Guys (2016)
What happens when you get an enforcer and a washed-up private investigator team up to find a missing woman? Well, let’s just say things get dangerous and hysterical. The Nice Guys is a film written and directed by Shane Black, set in 1977, where Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling set out to solve a mystery of a missing adult star who is thought to be dead, but isn’t. This was the first time audiences got to see Gosling play up his comedic chops, and he does it well.
His character can be kind of squeamish, especially when coming across a dead body or somebody getting shot. That being said, he also plays a father who is trying to do right by his daughter, who ultimately gets mixed up in the events that occur throughout the movie. This movie stands out to be one of Gosling’s favorites in his library of films; it is definitely worth watching.
3.) La La Land (2016)
If you love jazz, then you’ll love this movie. La La Land has Gosling starring as Sebastian next to Emma Stone, who stars as Mia, in a musical about living in Hollywood and trying to reach your dreams, whether it’s to be an actress or open your own jazz club. During the movie, they both go through the motions while living in Tinseltown.
Gosling makes you really feel his character’s passion for jazz, even when he has to make the choice to “sell out”, to play for a music rival, in order to make money towards his dream, he still hangs on to his love for, not only the music, but Mia who’s dream is to become a famous Hollywood actress. Gosling plays her “rock” as he encourages her to chase her passion. If you ever wanted to see Gosling sing and dance, and if you ever had a dream, then this is the movie for you.
4.) The Gray Man (2020)
Not many Spy films get as fun as this one. Ryan Gosling plays Courtland Gentry, known as “Sierra Six”, who discovers agency secrets which in turn activate a worldwide hunt of his ex-colleagues. Gosling brings this character to life from beginning to end as he deals with each obstacle in his way to find the truth of the agency he works for. Ryan Gosling’s character goes through the gauntlet as he gets shot at, beaten up, blown up, and more in order to survive.
As a character, we see him go from being a prisoner to someone of us to someone the CIA doesn’t mind killing to keep their hands clean. Two of his best moments happen when he ends up fighting a mercenary, Lloyd Hansen, played by Chris Evans. As Gosling plays Gentry straight, Evens plays his character as if he’s having the time of his life. The Gray Man is definitely one of the best Gosling films if you’re looking for some action.
5.) Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
The sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner picks up years after the events of the original film. Ryan Gosling plays K or ‘KD6-3.7’, a replicant who hunts down other replicants for the LAPD, who have either retired or gone rogue. Gosling, having to step into the main character role who was previously Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, carries this movie. Even without the inclusion of Harrison Ford, who doesn’t show up until halfway through the movie shows K goes through his own mystery that could throw society into chaos.
Ryan Gosling, playing a more serious role in this sci-fi, continues a story that audiences didn’t know they wanted. There are times in the movie that you wonder if K is an actual replicant or human after all, which is why I think Gosling kills it in this film. He leaves you wondering what’s real about his character and what’s not.
Final Thoughts
Those are just a few of the many movies that Ryan Gosling has done that people have enjoyed. What are some of your favorite Ryan Gosling roles? How about some of your least favorite? And do you think Gosling with fit into this upcoming Star Wars movie? Maybe there are some movies you would love to see him in! Let us know!
