Top 10 Hilarious Ryan Gosling Movie Moments
#10: Bringing the ‘80s Back
Jurassic World 2 is Bringing Back JEFF GOLDBLUM! – The CineFiles Ep. 18
“La La Land” (2016)
After a botched first encounter, aspiring Angeleno creatives Mia and Sebastian turn a chance meeting at a party into the start of something wonderful. It’s immediately clear that Gosling and Emma Stone, in respective Oscar-nominated and -winning performances, are a screen couple for the ages any time that they work together, their fiery yet playful back-and-forth proof of their palpable chemistry. Sumptuously filmed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, Gosling and Stone make us laugh with relatable banter… which, honestly, is the least they can do, considering how “La La Land” is a genuine tearjerker.
#9: Acting Naturally
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“Remember the Titans” (2000)
London, Ontario native Gosling started his career as a Mouseketeer, but this inspirational high school football biopic captures him on the verge of superstardom. In only his second feature film performance, Gosling shines and manages to steal the show in a relatively small role as Alan Bosley, T. C. Williams’ high’s local cornerback. At a time when he was attempting to shed the “stigma” of having worked in children’s television, we catch early glimpses of exactly what makes Gosling’s screen presence so compelling. Alan’s goofy, earnest charm is brought to life by a pitch-perfect Gosling, who makes the most of his screen time by attempting to turn his teammates on to country music. It goes as well as you’d expect.
#8: Bianca Meets the Lindstroms
“Lars and the Real Girl” (2007)
This offbeat, character-focused dramedy takes what could easily be the premise of an absurdist Will Ferrell movie and mines it for something far deeper and richer. The unconventional love story at its center finds Gosling playing Lars, an awkward, withdrawn small-towner who has difficulty making connections with other people — so much so that his first real relationship turns out to be with a life-sized, anatomically correct doll. The scene in which Lars’ brother and sister-in-law “meet” Bianca, as Gosling’s character names her, is a masterclass in cringe comedy. Gosling keeps the scene grounded in humanity, never giving in to caricature, and goes above and beyond in making Lars a real guy — and still manages to elicit laughs along the way.
#7: Self-Defense
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“The Nice Guys” (2016)
Take our word for it that Holland March, a widowed private investigator, was not expecting — or looking forward to — a visit from Russell Crowe’s Jackson Healy, a gruff private enforcer with a soft side. Especially because their previous encounter left March with, as Healy helpfully explains, a spiral fracture of the left radius. Healy, needing help with a puzzling case, finds a now-paranoid March in… well, let’s say, a compromising position, which leaves Gosling open to play out a bit of beautifully awkward physical comedy that would make Charlie Chaplin proud… and probably Larry David, too. Would you believe that these two end up friends?
#6: The Fight
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“Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011)
While we don’t usually come to a comedy expecting a “Sixth Sense” level plot twist, we’re definitely not complaining. While this won’t be the last “Crazy, Stupid, Love” scene on our list, it’s definitely one of the movie’s, and therefore Gosling’s, most hilarious moments. The climactic scene features the movie’s main plotlines intersecting, and culminating with a legendary, all-out suburban melee between Gosling, Steve Carell, Kevin Bacon, and beloved character actor John Carroll Lynch. The image of the four actors sat beside each other like punished schoolchildren is enough to make you laugh, but it’s beautifully topped off with Gosling’s juvenile reaction to an unintentional entendre (which has since become a meme in itself).
#5: A Whole New World… For Ken
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“Barbie” (2023)
Left to fend for himself while Margot Robbie’s Barbie carries out her mission, unwelcome stowaway Ken discovers a world quite unlike the Barbieland he knows. There, he feels that he’s second-best to his unrequited love, a mere accessory to her glamorousness. In the real world, Ken learns about the patriarchy, in which dudes totally rule. Gosling perfectly sells Ken’s brand of ignorant self-confidence and unfailing naïvete. You totally believe that his character, in a few short minutes, would somehow misunderstand self-empowerment as being about horses and the “Rocky” movies. No wonder Gosling was nominated for an Oscar for his performance!
#4: The Sales Pitch
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“The Big Short” (2015)
In Adam McKay’s financial world satire, Gosling’s Jared Vennett is a banking executive — a savvy, charismatic perennial underdog. Vennett attempts to sell a hedge fund manager and his team on risky credit swaps that will supposedly lead to a significant profit margin. The results speak for themselves: Gosling’s established comedic chops are bolstered by his palpable chemistry with an all-star supporting cast, including Steve Carell and future “Succession” star Jeremy Strong. “Anchorman” and “Step Brothers” director McKay later explained that he encouraged his actors to improvise, and it definitely shows. The cast’s naturalistic rhythm, as well as the film’s Oscar-nominated editing, make for an organically funny scene. It’s all anchored by Gosling, who hooks us in despite his character’s unscrupulousness.
#3: Holland March Gets a Visitor
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“The Nice Guys” (2016)
Didn’t we tell you that these two end up becoming reluctant friends soon after this scene? As the first scene in which March and Healy interact, the audience gets the sense that this might not be your average buddy movie. Director Shane Black’s witty, genre-bending, cult classic action comedy clearly makes a point of subverting your expectations. As Gosling’s beleaguered private eye quickly learns, Russell Crowe’s old-school enforcer-for-hire tells it like it is. As with the last “Nice Guys” scene on our list, Black’s film is a perfect vehicle for showcasing Gosling’s previously untapped knack for physical comedy. Specifically, that fabled scream at the end — you’d think Crowe actually broke Gosling’s arm to pull it off!
#2: Mall Makeover
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” (2011)
In his fourth Golden Globe nominated performance, Gosling plays suave, womanizing Jacob, who takes on a unique personal project: to turn Steve Carell’s Cal from dorky corporate drone into a bona fide ladies’ man. And how does any good makeover truly get off of the ground? With a shopping spree, of course! Jacob takes Cal to the Westfield Century City shopping complex in the Los Angeles Westside and shows him some tough love regarding his appearance. While Gosling’s character’s animosity for New Balance sneakers hasn’t aged well, his odd-couple chemistry with Steve Carell makes us long for another collaboration between the two beyond “The Big Short”.
#1: “I’m Just Ken”
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“Barbie” (2023)
Dare we say that Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated smash hit arguably finds an even better use of Gosling’s musical talents than “La La Land”? While that’s up for debate, there’s no denying that “I’m Just Ken” reminds us precisely why Gosling is a modern-day, capital-M movie star. “Barbie” made us expect the unexpected, and yet we were still totally floored by its out-of-the-blue, climactic musical number. Produced by frequent collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, “I’m Just Ken” speaks to “Barbie’s” greater themes: particularly that of loving yourself just the way you are. Throw in a “Grease” and “Singin’ in the Rain”-inspired dance break, and this moment goes to show that, no matter what, Gosling is definitely not just Ken.
Which Ryan Gosling movie moment made you laugh the hardest? Are there any that we forgot? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments!
