From a troubled childhood to a scary run-in with a fan, Ryan Gosling's life hasn't always
been glitz and glamour.
Ryan Gosling was raised in an extremely devout Mormon household, to the point that religion
controlled every little detail of his day-to-day routine.
He hated feeling restricted so much that he took his frustrations out on his classmates.
One time in the first grade, he felt such a desperate need to rebel that he hid a bundle
of steak knives in his school bag to use as weapons on the playground.
But Gosling's troublesome youth didn't make him immune to being the target of bullying himself.
In fact, it was so bad that he dropped out of public school and ended up being homeschooled instead.
As he confessed in an interview with Company Magazine,
Gosling knew from a young age how much he wanted to be an actor.
So during high school, he gave up his formal education to pursue a showbiz career.
He had enough talent and charisma to get started in Hollywood at the age of 12.
His lucky break arrived in the form of being an official cast member on The Mickey Mouse
Club, as he starred alongside the likes of future stars like Christina Aguilera, Justin
Timberlake, and Britney Spears.
"When did that happen?
How did it happen?"
"I have no idea how that happened.
I mean, they regretted it pretty quickly after they hired me."
While growing up, Ryan Gosling also couldn't help but feel self-conscious about the fact
that he required special help because of his ADHD.
The fact that his classmates would tease him relentlessly for his disability didn't make
things any easier.
As he confessed to GQ,
Gosling also noted that his struggles in school were a big reason why he felt the need to
rebel so much.
As he put it,
When Gosling was a teenager, his parents went through a messy divorce that took a significant
toll on his well-being and led him to continue to act out.
But when you know the details of the divorce, it's easy to empathize with him.
Court papers include allegations of domestic violence on both sides.
Bearing witness to such physical assault unleashed a side of Gosling that ended up being detrimental
to his and others' safety.
As he admitted to The Telegraph in 2008,
However, Gosling doesn't blame his home life for his actions.
He simply felt stifled by the restrictive environment and wanted to grow up faster.
As he explained,
"It was more that I just wanted to be a man, have a job, a real place, date girls and get
on with it [...] If I hadn't got out and started working, I'd be in a lot of trouble now.
I'd probably be dead."
It's no secret that Ryan Gosling has garnered millions of fans thanks to his years of movie stardom.
His dashing good looks and spirited charisma have even led fans to declare him "boyfriend material."
His status as a heartthrob has been so widespread that the actor himself has commented directly on it.
When GQ asked him in 2016 what made him "perfect boyfriend material," he replied simply, "My Canadianness."
While Gosling is usually flattered by the praise from his loyal fans, sometimes the
extent of their dedication can go overboard.
Specifically, there was a time when he was targeted by a stalker.
In 2014, a 34-year-old woman named Grace Marie Del Villar allegedly harassed the actor and
his family and claimed that she and Gosling were "twin flames" and "soulmates."
To ensure his and his family's safety, Gosling got a temporary restraining order against Del Villar.
According to court documents obtained by E! News,
The court documents also noted that Gosling referred to Del Villar as "delusional."
Considering his difficult childhood and the strict household he was raised in, it's probably
not too surprising that Ryan Gosling has had an estranged relationship with his father Thomas.
Apparently, Thomas Gosling believed that his son owed him a good portion of the money that
he earned from his acting, as he claimed to have played a hand in Ryan's fame.
Unfortunately, their inability to see eye to eye has led to the two not speaking to
one another for many years.
According to an exclusive report by Radar Online in 2017, the younger Gosling refused
to show up to his dad's wedding to his new wife the previous summer.
As a source revealed to Radar,
Although Ryan has a complicated relationship with his own dad, he is keen on being the
best dad possible to his two daughters.
He's even said that he considers himself a "dad first" and a Hollywood big shot second.