Cover Ryan Gosling has delivered some of cinema’s most memorable moments across romance, action and comedy throughout his versatile career (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Ryan Gosling has delivered some of cinema’s most memorable moments across romance, action and comedy throughout his versatile career (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
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As Ryan Gosling celebrates his birthday, revisit the iconic scenes—romantic, shocking and impossibly charming—that transformed him from heartthrob to one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers
Few actors understand the power of a moment like Ryan Gosling. He’s built a career out of them—a glare, a smirk, a song—small gestures that explode into pop culture lexicon. Whether he’s serenading with a ukulele or declaring himself “just Ken”, the Canadian actor has mastered the art of creating scenes that become instant cultural touchstones. As he celebrates another year on November 12, these unforgettable moments showcase why Ryan Gosling remains one of cinema’s most captivating performers—an actor unafraid to be vulnerable, violent or delightfully absurd.
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‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ (2011) – ‘Dirty Dancing’ lift
Above The lift became the most rewatchable moment from ‘Crazy Stupid Love’
In the 2011 romcom Crazy Stupid Love, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) convinces Hannah (Emma Stone) to come home with him by successfully executing the iconic Dirty Dancing lift. Gosling actually performed the move in real life. However, Stone’s phobia of being lifted from a childhood gymnastics accident required a body double for some shots.
‘Barbie’ (2023) – ‘I’m Just Ken’ sequence
Above The “I’m Just Ken” sequence in ‘Barbie’ epitomises Gosling’s fearless commitment to absurdity
The clever, often surreal live-action Barbie movie offered many absurd moments, but among the most indelible was when Ryan Gosling’s Ken sang the Oscar-nominated ’80s-style power ballad “I’m Just Ken”, which eventually erupted into a series of Broadway dance sequences that recalled everything from Oklahoma! and West Side Story to Singin’ in the Rain. Director Greta Gerwig fought to keep the number in the film, and Gosling’s show-stopping performance at the Oscars proved she was right: no one else could have made it this unforgettable.
‘The Notebook’ (2004) – rain kiss
Above The kiss in ‘The Notebook’ remains the gold standard of cinematic romantic reunions
Critics may have rolled their eyes (it holds a mere 54 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences turned The Notebook into an enduring touchstone of romance. In the film’s most iconic moment, Noah (Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) reunite after years apart and argue their way into a passionate kiss under torrential rain. The downpour—reportedly pumped from a nearby lake as they filmed on a bitterly cold day—heightened the scene’s emotional intensity. Gosling and McAdams’ chemistry later won them the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss, which they famously re-enacted live on stage as they accepted their trophy.
‘Blue Valentine’ (2010) – ukulele scene
Above The ukulele serenade in ‘Blue Valentine’ is both achingly romantic and tragically prophetic
In Derek Cianfrance’s heartbreaking indie Blue Valentine, Dean (Gosling) serenades Cindy (Michelle Williams) with a ukulele performance of “You Always Hurt the One You Love”. The moment, improvised during filming, captures spontaneous tenderness that contrasts sharply with the film’s later emotional collapse. Cianfrance had the actors live together for a month to foster intimacy and friction—resulting in one of the rawest portrayals of love’s decay in modern cinema.
‘La La Land’ (2016) – final glance
Above The final glance between Sebastian and Mia in the final scenes of ‘La La Land’ remains one of cinema’s most heartbreakingly beautiful scenes
The wordless closing scene of La La Land delivers one of cinema’s most bittersweet farewells. Years after their breakup, Mia (Emma Stone) walks into a jazz club owned by Sebastian (Gosling). When he spots her, he plays their old love theme, launching a fantasy of the life they might have shared. Gosling spent three months mastering jazz piano for the role, performing every note himself—his silent smile at the end conveying more than dialogue ever could.
‘Drive’ (2011) – elevator scene
Above The elevator scene in ‘Drive’ perfectly captures the terrifying duality of Gosling’s character
In the action drama Drive, Ryan Gosling plays the silent Driver, who works as a stuntman and getaway driver for hire, grows close to his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), who he strives to protect. In this scene, the Driver gently kisses Irene before brutally stomping a hitman to death in the same lift. This shocking juxtaposition of tenderness and violence defines the entire film. With only 891 words of dialogue throughout, Gosling’s performance relies entirely on physicality and silent gazes.
‘The Nice Guys’ (2016) – chaotic bathroom stall
Above Gosling’s physical comedy prowess is on full display in this chaotic scene from ‘The Nice Guys’
Set in 1970s Los Angeles, The Nice Guys pairs Gosling’s bumbling private eye Holland March with Russell Crowe’s enforcer. In one unforgettable scene, Gosling attempts to juggle a gun, a cigarette and a toilet stall door all at once. The slapstick chaos, much of it improvised, reveals Gosling’s comic precision—reminiscent of Lou Costello-inspired slapstick abilities—proving his comedic chops years before Barbie made “Kenergy” a household term.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017) – ‘good Joe’ scene
Above The hologram scene in ‘Blade Runner 2049’ delivers one of sci-fi cinema’s most heartbreaking revelations
In Blade Runner 2049, Gosling’s replicant detective K endures a devastating epiphany: the humanity he believed he’d discovered in himself was a programmed illusion. The holographic “Good Joe” scene, where K’s AI companion Joi calls him by the same nickname later used by a street advert, shatters his sense of identity. Gosling’s restrained performance turns sci-fi spectacle into existential heartbreak—proving once again that his greatest power lies in silence.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
