From Paul Newman, Charles Bronson, and Sean Connery of the 50s and 60s, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, and Sylvester Stallone of the 70s and 80s, to Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, and Mark Wahlberg of the present day, there have been generational action movie actors in every era. All stars have their day, before morphing into a black dwarf, giving way to the novas of tomorrow. We have already been given a glimpse of the future action stars with the potential to reach intergalactic heights with the likes of Tom Holland, Daniel Kaluuya, andRyan Gosling, with the latter having reached for the stars and landed on the moon in the Oscar-nominated,First Man.
While Gosling is an esteemed name in Hollywood, having rightly cemented a reputation as an acting virtuoso and A-lister, the Canadian’s action career has only been launched into life in the past decade, with most of his early work an amalgamation of psychological thrillers, Romance, and dramas- demonstrating a masterful degree of versatility in the process. Gosling fronts Netflix’s recently releasedThe Gray Man, which snatched the title of the streaming giant’s biggest budget to date, but with the Russo brothers and Netflix collaboration flattering to deceive, how is Ryan Gosling progressing as a leading action star?
Gosling’s Journey to Action Man
The curse of thechild acting staris very much a recognized phenomenon. McCauley Culkin, Drew Barrymore, and Lindsay Lohan had it all, their surrender to spells of drug abuse largely attributed to premature fame. Yet, unlike hisfellow troubled youthprodigies, Ryan Gosling’s transition from infantile acting on Disney’sMickey Mouse Clubto starring as the lead inThe Believerwas seamlessly executed.
Building his status in “serious” film was a prolonged process for the Ontarian, but one that bore fruit. Excelling at roles inMurder by NumbersandThe Slaughter Rule, Gosling worked hard before reaching the lofty regions of fame that his titular performance inThe Notebookearned him. Critical acclaim would come knocking three years later after his appearance in Ryan Fleck’sHalf Nelsoncaught the attention of Roger Ebert and the LA Times, who heralded the 20-something actor’s rendition of a drug-addicted teacher, likening him to Marlon Brando.
The turn of the decade (2010) saw his attention turning as well, relaunching his career as a tough-guy ‘real hero’ with his compellingly abstract performance in theNicolas Winding Refn movieDrive.While many aspiring big-budget actionistaswill hone their trade in the relatively humble confines of independent film, the Canadian was refining his craft for all to see (inGangster Squad, The Place Beyond the Pines, andThe Nice Guys), and alongside some of the industry’s finest in Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Russell Crowe, and Josh Brolin… no pressure, Ryan.
Adding Strings to Gosling’s Bow
Over the last 12 years, theLa La Landactor has gradually accumulated a variety of key components that have enabled him to harness his hunt for action stardom. Between his ultra-cool, nameless getaway driver steeped in mystique inDrive,his endearingly scatterbrained PI with impeccable comical timing inThe Nice Guys(amovie coming to Netflix next month),and the deeply complex, emotionally vacant drug dealer, Julian inOnly God Forgives, Gosling has been honing his craft while picking up little action skills in movies which can’t exactly be categorized as ‘action’ but nonetheless featuresome great action sequences.
The action-packed cocktail containing the flavorsome ingredients Gosling has carefully assembled through these films has often proven to be a hit with cocktail-connoisseurs. However, criticism is sometimes aimed at the actor from those who believe the drink’s blend isn’t as symphonious as it has been dubbed, with a real sense of character depth and emotional development going amiss in several of his action movies. Words like wooden, stiff, mumbling, cold, and uncharismatic have all been engraved on the stick to beat him with. It’s safe to say that Gosling hadn’t proved his straight-up action merits until the recent release ofThe Gray Man, though one film has arguably prepared him more than any other, helping his performance avoid those negative adjectives sometimes hurled at him.
The Blade Runner 2049 Audition
Perhaps the greatest litmus test for the true action greats is their performances in big-budget blockbusters, where they can truly define their careers by delivering notable reprisals. Denis Villeneuve’s neo-noir sci-fi,Blade Runner 2049was Gosling’s first big-budget trial, an audition that helped assess the actor’s credentials as a real screen presence in a flagship action flick (even if it’s not exactly an ‘action’ movie per se, it undoubtedly features the most polished and extensive action sequences of Gosling’s career up to that point).
Gosling’s portrayal of ‘Officer K’ demonstrates a flickering, wholesome air of vulnerability; he banishes the quibbles surrounding his apparent lack of depth, and emphatically creates this beautiful persona of a man who is profoundly multi-layered. Yet, there is a lingering disassociation with his appearances in the film’s action scenes, predominantly when in combat.
There is seemingly a lack of conviction, not necessarily in the choreography, but in the hollow, forgettable nature of his role in the fight sequences. Of course, this is partly due to Gosling playing a Replicant rather than a human, but still, he often gets overwhelmed by the largeness of his surroundings and the powerful energy of his opponents, whether that’s Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, or Mackenzie Davis.
Ryan Gosling is The Gray Man
2022’s first financially mammoth-sized Netflix movie,The Gray Man,was Ryan Gosling’s second run as a big-budget action film protagonist. Thoughthe Russo Brothers’movie has split opinions between complimentary feedback and scathing criticism, Gosling’s performance did little to distance himself from previously negative associations. Playing another nameless individual, who we know as ‘Sierra Six,’ Gosling’s character has an uncanny resemblance to his emotionless showing inDrive.
Pitted against the almost playfully iniquitous Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), Sierra Six is hunted by his former employers (the CIA) after uncovering incredibly sensitive agency information. Whether it is down to Gosling himself, or an under-developed script and plot, as the nearest thing to a hero, his display is apathetic, detached, and lacking in any kind of magnetism. Gosling has a great sense of humor (seeThe Nice Guys, Crazy Stupid Love,the upcomingBarbie), but that only comes across here in a few line readings. Like that ofBlade Runner 2049the combat scenes always seem to be devoid of any feasible danger, and for the sheer volume of fight scenes inThe Gray Man, he seldom seems to break a sweat or crack that solemn look that’s permanently inscribed across his face.
The Jury’s Out
There have unquestionably been flashes of utter genius in a number of his action roles, however, we have yet to witness Gosling replicate or transfer the undeniable acting talents he was so praised for in his earlier career (and in the likes ofThe Big ShortandLa La Land) into his action movies. Perhaps his future endeavors, like aGray Mansequel or a possibleGhost Ridermovie with Gosling, will find the actor bringing more of his real talents to big-budget action. Regardless, with his new filmBarbiecurrently in production, many are excited that this may symbolize a return to what he does best.
