‘I NEVER KNEW THAT LIFE COULD BE THIS FUN'

FROM DISNEY CHANNEL STAR TO DOUBLE OSCAR NOMINEE OK! CELEBRATES RYAN GOSLING’S SUCCESS AS HE TURNS

The mere mention of his name is enough to make millions go weak at the knees – Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling certainly has come a long way from the geeky 12-year-old who started out on The Mickey Mouse Club. After starring in the Disney Channel show alongside the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and then-roommate Justin Timberlake, Ryan went on to land roles in family favourites Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Goosebumps, before making his film debut in American drama The Believer. But it was his breakout role in 2004 tearjerker The Notebook that cemented the Canadian as a bona fide Hollywood heartthrob.

It’s hard to imagine any other actor playing mill worker Noah Calhoun, but Ryan’s career-making role was originally lined up for the equally handsome George Clooney. However, according to author Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the novel on which the film is based, Ryan only got the part because no one else wanted it!