Ryan Gosling talks "The Big Short"

Ryan Gosling in, The Big Short

There’s no denying that Ryan Gosling is a force to be reckoned with. The Canadian-born actor has made quite a name for himself on the big screen and doesn’t intend to stop dazzling us anytime soon.

He’s surely proven himself as a fine dramatic actor however many of his co-stars and directors say that he is one of the funniest guys they’ve ever worked with.  Just this weekend Gosling showed off his comedic side as Host of Saturday Night Live and although he could barely contain his laughter through many of the skits, Gosling was pretty fearless and funny. 

Gosling on Saturday Night Live trying to hold back his laughter

He began his career in 1993 as a child star on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club for a few years and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs including  Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Goosebumps.  His first big-screen starring role was as a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer, and he then took on some roles in smaller independent films including The United States of Leland.

Gosling came to the attention of a wider audience in 2004 (and made women swoon) with a leading role in the romantic drama The Notebook opposite fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams. His performance as a drug-addicted teacher in Half Nelson was nominated for an Oscar and his performance as a socially inept loner in  Lars and the Real Girl was nominated for a Golden Globe. After a three-year acting hiatus, Gosling starred in Blue Valentine  earning him a second Golden Globe nomination. 2011 proved to be a landmark year for Gosling as he co-starred in three mainstream films – the romantic comedy-drama Crazy, Stupid, Love the political drama The Ides of March  and the action thriller Drive.  In 2013, he starred in the crime thriller Gangster Squad the generational drama The Place Beyond the Pines, and the violent revenge film Only God Forgives. His directorial debut Lost River was released in 2014.

Ryan and Rachel McAdams in, The Notebook

In his latest film, Gosling tackles subprime loans, interest rate swaps, tranches and collateralized debt obligation. Sound confusing? Well, this is the language of The Big Short,  a movie that chronicles the crash of the American housing market that led to the 2008 financial crisis.

The film, based on a Michael Lewis book of the same name, follows a group of Wall Street-types who saw the crash coming and figured out how to capitalize on it. Adam McKay, known for his work in comedies like Anchorman 1 and 2, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, directed the film that features an A-list cast including Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Gosling.

I sat down with Ryan Gosling in Los Angeles to find out what he learned about this world and why Steve Carell calls him the funniest guy he’s ever worked with.