Ryan Gosling on Canadian roots: 'I always felt like I had something to go back to'
Zulekha Nathoo | CBC News | Posted: December 17, 2016 6:34 PM | Last Updated: December 17, 2016
London, Ont.-born actor defends home country, joking his co-star sees Canada as 'America's hat'
Ryan Gosling doesn't often get personal but says growing up in Canada gives him a unique perspective on life in Hollywood.
"I think it was very helpful to grow up in Canada, or in a small town," Gosling told CBC News in Los Angeles. "I think if you grow up here, it might be hard to remember that there's a world outside of it."
The 36-year-old actor, who recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as a struggling jazz musician in the film La La Land, said unlike his character, his roots offered a safety net for what can be a tumultuous career.
"I always felt like I had something to go back to so the stakes weren't ever that high."
Before the interview, Emma Stone, who was seated next to Gosling as they promoted La La Land, got playful about her co-star's home country.
"Canadians!" Stone said after learning interviewer Zulekha Nathoo is from Calgary.
"Don't let her say it like that," Gosling joked.
"I said that with excitement and joy," Stone responded.
"She says it like it's a cute thing," he dead-panned. "She just thinks of us as America's hat."
London, Ont.-born Gosling got his start on Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club as a child and starred on Canadian shows such as Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps before getting widespread attention for his role in the 2004 romantic film The Notebook.
Since then, he has gained critical acclaim for a number of films, including Blue Valentine, Ides of March and The Big Short. Gosling has two children with actress Eva Mendes.