10 Actors Who Aren't Afraid To Mock Themselves
8. Ryan Gosling: From Brooding Hard Man To Slapstick Goofball - The Nice Guys
In the first half of the 2010s, Ryan Gosling had been carving out a rewarding career as stoic, brooding, violent men. From Drive to The Place Beyond The Pines and Only God Forgives, he was serious to the point of risking being po-faced. While films like Crazy, Stupid Love showcased his charisma, it wasn't until The Nice Guys that Gosling demonstrated his willingness to play the idiot.
The Nice Guys is a classic Shane Black buddy movie, pairing Gosling's slightly goofy and inept private detective with Russell Crowe's brusque and macho one. Sporting an arm in plaster throughout, Gosling as Holland March is the classic comic relief character in a Shane Black double act. It's a role that showcases Gosling's gift for slapstick comedy, especially in the brilliant toilet cubicle scene where he's trying to defend himself from both Crowe, and stray cigarette ash.
It felt like a departure for Gosling, who was clearly looking for something different after a string of stoic and silent men. Especially as March never seems to stop talking. It's a great comic performance, and despite being released in the same year as La La Land, Gosling's best performance of 2016.