Ryan Gosling: Five top films from 'The Gray Man' star

Ryan Gosling is the man of the moment, currently in the limelight for not only Netflix’s action opus "The Gray Man" where he gets into full-fledged action mode for the first time in his career, but also for his upcoming role as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s "Barbie" movie. What we love about Gosling is his versatility - the former "Mickey Mouse Club" star turned actor has impressed us in varied roles over the past two decades. Here are five of our favourite films from Gosling who has headlined Hollywood blockbusters as well as critically acclaimed projects.

"The Notebook": Can we ever get over this charming and poignant screen romance based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel of the same name? Gosling and fellow Canadian actor Rachel McAdams ("Mean Girls", "About Time") play a couple in the 1940s whose love story is told through a notebook. Veteran Hollywood stars James Garner and Gena Rowlands add heft to this 2004 drama that has acquired cult status over time.

"Half Nelson": This critically acclaimed 2006 drama about a middle school history teacher with a drug habit who strikes up an unlikely friendship with one of his students (Shareeka Epps), earned Gosling an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Gosling shines as an idealistic and vulnerable educator who struggles with personal demons and substance issues. His performance even drew comparisons to Hollywood great Marlon Brando.

"Crazy, Stupid, Love": Is there anything Gosling can’t do? In one of our favourite films of all time, he is ridiculously convincing as a charming womanizer who tries to instill confidence in an older man (Steve Carell) who is the dumps after finding out his wife’s been having an affair. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" marks the first time Gosling worked with Emma Stone who he would also go on to make a luminous pairing with in "Gangster Squad" and the Oscar-nominated "La La Land".

"The Nice Guys": Gosling and Gladiator star Russell Crowe make for an unlikely pair in this action comedy that revolves around the investigation into an adult actor’s death. Gosling’s private investigator and Russell Crowe’s enforcer are initially at loggerheads but ultimately end up on the same side. Chicago Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper called Gosling and Crowe “the funniest duo of the year so far.”

"Blade Runner 2049": A sequel to the classic Ridley Scott 1982 science fiction hit "Blade Runner" set in a dystopian future, this Denis Villeneuve-directed film was praised for its “visually staggering” presence in a Guardian report. Gosling is LAPD officer K, a ‘replicant’ tasked with tracking down models (the original film saw synthetic humans called replicants being bio-engineered by a huge corporation) who are hiding out and living illegally.

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