Audience goes wild for Gosling

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Playing a fierce neo Nazi in “The Believer,” he shook crowds. As a romantic heartthrob in the “The Notebook” he made them cry. Last night Ryan Gosling played himself and got a packed Lobero Theatre audience to laugh hysterically.
Story after story, Gosling entertained the crowd and offered a brief window into the life of a movie talent that has managed to lay low despite powerful performances.


This ability is likely why the Santa Barbara International Film Festival selected Gosling to receive its inaugural Independent Award, which was presented to the 27-year-old actor last night by Craig Gillespie, director of “Lars and the Real Girl.”
“I do think he’s one of the most uncompromising, talented actors we have today,” Gillespie said. “He’s just scratching the surface of where he’s going to go.”
When Gosling entered the theatre, he did so to a shriek of female screams and several “I love you Ryan!” shouts from varying places throughout the room.
When calm was restored, he began fielding questions from Jenelle Riley, of Back Stage West Reporter, who called Gosling not only one of the best actors working today, but one of the “most compelling.”
Riley took Gosling through a chronological history of his career, beginning with his days on the “Mickey Mouse Club.”
But the hoots, hollers and laughter started when Gosling began answering most questions with some stories about each film, its director or even his driver.
When asked by Riley how he began acting, he said it started when he had a crush on his sister. She was a good actress and singer, and he wanted to impress her, so he tried out for plays.
Gosling said his move to Los Angeles a few years back was prompted by his school days in Canada. He said he knew he was bound for California when he was walking to school and saw a frozen cat. He then demonstrated the position the frozen cat was found in.
Many believe Gosling, who has no formal acting training, was thrust onto the main stage with his riveting 2001 performance in “The Believer.” Gosling said he stumbled upon the role while helping a friend practice the lines.
He decided to audition and got the role by “lying” he said.
“I wanted the job so bad and I just kept lying,” Gosling said. His reference to lying stems from his lack of acting experience, which he said hit rock bottom on the first day of shooting when his character passionately delivered an anti-Semitic rant to a person he’s having coffee with.
Gosling said it was apparent after the first shoot that it wasn’t good and he could see the disappointment on everyone’s faces, including the crew.
He said he did the scene again and again and it worked out partly because of the crew’s support.
“I still think the most important thing you can do as an actor is let the crew into your process,” he said.
Riley asked Gosling if working on films with small budgets has had any impact on his experiences, to which Gosling answered that if it has it’s only made the process more fun.
“For the most part it was really fun because we didn’t have any money,” he said. “The money gives you trailers, more takes and better food, whatever.”
After a slew of serious roles, Gosling said he wasn’t feeling well and went to doctor who wrote him a prescription that said, “Do a romantic comedy.”
So he dove into the “The Notebook,” which was just that, “A good old fashioned love story,” he said.
At one of the film’s premieres, Gosling said he was in the lobby and there was a box of Kleenex with a picture of him kissing the film’s co-star. He said he thought it arrogant to presume people would cry. Ten minutes into the movie, Gosling said he could hear people sniffling and at the end empty Kleenex boxes littered the floor.
Riley wondered if after “The Notebook,” Gosling was bombarded with an onslaught of requests to do big-budget films. But he said he likes to wait for pieces that fit his tastes, whether there’s a lot of money involved or not.
“The things that are going to resonate with me [are] few and far between,” he said.
Part of the ability to be selective he said, is having a supportive agent, who doesn’t pressure him to take roles regardless of the money line.
In the 2007 film “Fracture,” Gosling plays a prosecutor who co-stars with Anthony Hopkins.
When asked by Riley what it was like to go toe-to-toe with Hannibal Lecter, Gosling said it was similar to how he felt at the moment.
“Are you comparing me to Hannibal Lecter,” Riley asked.
“No but you look delicious,” Gosling said.