Written and directed by Henry Bean, The Believer put a young Gosling — still fresh off The Mickey Mouse Club — on the map as a serious actor. Based on a real-life story, Gosling stars as a young Jewish man who becomes a neo-Nazi, developing fierce anti-Semitism. Playing the definition of a character with contradictions and inner conflict, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, thanks in part, to Gosling's bold performance.

The Notebook established Gosling as a Hollywood heartthrob and endures as one of his most popular films. Based on the Nicholas Sparks book of the same name and directed by Nick Cassavetes, the film co-stars Oscar nominees James Garner and Gena Rowlands. Gosling plays Noah, a veteran designed to pull tears out of even the most stone-cold moviegoers, alongside a charming Rachel McAdams. The romantic drama features passionate performances and undeniable chemistry between its lead actors.

Gosling received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work on Half Nelson, directed by Ryan Fleck. Gosling plays the drug-addicted Dan Dunne, a history teacher who can't shake his habit even as he works to save one of his students (Shareeka Epps) from a local dealer (Anthony Mackie). Gosling's performance, frazzled and intense, solidified his place among the best actors of his generation.

Starring as the titular Lars, Gosling couldn't be portraying anyone more different than the dreamy Noah from The Notebook. In this dramedy directed by Craig Gillespie, Gosling's character begins a romantic relationship with a sex doll, and, on the advice of a doctor, his family dutifully rolls with the punches. Despite the film's out-there premise, Gosling gives emotional depth to a character that could have simply been a punchline, and proves he has chemistry with just about anyone — or anything.

To prepare for Blue Valentine, filmmaker Derek Cianfrance's portrayal of a marriage coming together and falling apart, Gosling and co-star Michelle Williams lived together, purchasing groceries based on their characters' incomes and even creating family portraits together. That commitment is evident on-screen — the couple's chemistry is electric, even as things start to crumble. For her work, Williams received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

An arthouse adaptation of the James Sallis novel, the neo-noir crime thriller Drive sees Gosling playing a mysterious Hollywood stuntman moonlighting as a getaway driver for criminals. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Gosling's stoic performance stands out among stunning visuals, graphic imagery, and several fast-paced action sequences. Co-starring Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks, Drive received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing.

Playing the suave pick-up artist Jacob Palmer, one could make the case that the audience should hate his character. But as Jacob guides Cal (Steve Carell) through the modern world of dating and falls in love with Hannah (Emma Stone, in their first of three pairings so far), Gosling uses his comedic chops and natural charm to woo the audience once again. In this now-classic rom-com directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Gosling has a natural chemistry with all of the A-list leads, making even a pick-up artist endearing.

Paired with George Clooney, who directed and acted in The Ides of March, Gosling plays a junior campaign manager of a Democratic governor's presidential campaign. But as the campaign trail stretches longer and longer, Gosling's idealistic Stephen Meyers gets a real-life lesson in dirty politics. Alongside a cast of all-stars including Marisa Tomei and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gosling gets the chance to chart his character's slow decline into cynicism, eventually aligning with the pessimists all around him.

In Gosling's second collaboration with Cianfrance, he plays Luke Glanton, a crime-inclined motorcycle stunt rider. Luke is mumbling and mad, outfitted with tattoos, bleached blond hair, and a cigarette. In this extraordinarily underrated performance, he is impossible to look away from. The cast of this crime drama includes Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Bruce Greenwood, and Oscar winner Mahershala Ali.

Among a cast of fellow A-listers, Gosling is a standout in The Big Short, the Adam McKay film about the 2008 financial crisis that was nominated for five Oscars at the 88th Oscars and won for Best Adapted Screenplay. He plays Jared Vennett, a Deutsche Bank salesman who works as the witty narrator, pulling in even the most business-averse viewers into understanding. With a sharp delivery and an almost-friendliness toward the camera, Gosling seems made for McKay's frenetic and fast-paced style of filmmaking.

With a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations, La La Land is arguably the most essential Gosling film on this list. He got some love for La La Land himself, receiving a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Seb, a jazz musician. (Gosling spent several months playing the piano every day to prepare for his role.) Gosling and Stone are a perfect pair in yet another collaboration. Damien Chazelle's ode to Old Hollywood features dreamy dance sequences, stunning Los Angeles vistas, and a beautiful love story.

Stone received her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Mia. La La Land also won Oscars for Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for the song "City of Stars."

Despite initial hesitancy from fans of Ridley Scott's original Blade Runner, director Denis Villeneuve's follow-up was extraordinarily well-received, earning Gosling praise for his moody performance as Officer K, a new blade runner for the LAPD. K's on a mission to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who has been missing for the past three decades.

Blade Runner 2049, which won Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, successfully pays homage to the original film while also expanding the universe, with Gosling assuming leading man duties and putting all naysayers to rest.

Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy Barbie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, whose perfect life is upended by an existential crisis that takes her from Barbie Land to the real world. Gosling plays Ken, who simply can’t live without Barbie for there is no Ken without Barbie. Ken accompanies Barbie to the real world, where Barbie, in order to make things right in her own life, must track down the human who has been playing with her and feeling sad.

The film, which was the highest-grossing blockbuster of ’23, received eight Oscar nominations — including Best Picture — and won the Oscar for Best Original Song for the song "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. It’s not every day that an actor receives an Oscar nomination for playing a plastic doll, but Gosling proved he was Kenough and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his hilarious performance.