Trigger Warning: This article contains references to death, murder, violence, drugs, and alcohol which could be triggering for some readers
Ryan Gosling is in the news for his statement about not taking dark roles anymore. Fresh off a Barbie high, the Hollywood star opened up about being mindful about taking on new characters since becoming a dad. Gosling, who shares two daughters, Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee with actress and wife Eva Mendes, avoids taking on darker projects with psychological twists for the well-being of his family, per The Wall Street Journal.
Although embracing this new love and light-filled arc, Gosling kickstarted his illustrious Hollywood career with dark roles early on.
Officer K in Blade Runner (2017)
Ryan Gosling plays Officer K in the last installment of the Blade Runner franchise. Originally, KD6-3.7, Gosling’s K was a Nexus-9 replicant Blade Runner associated with the LAPD on a mission to terminate all illegal Nexus-8 replicants. The dutiful officer discovers a secret that could threaten the entire civilization and society.
Gosling’s character is often portrayed light-heartedly, enjoying vocal jazz and bourbon after work hours. But it is also within his capability to become aggressive and potentially dangerous to anyone jeopardizing his mission. Later in the movie, K dies in the snow succumbing to his wounds but still managing to complete his mission.
Dean in Blue Valentine (2010)
A blue-collar worker, Gosling’s Dean finds the love of his life with Cindy portrayed by Michelle Williams. Growing up a troublemaker, Dean loved taking girls on dates and spent whatever little he earned through odd jobs, on them. His sole aim in life is to be a father and a husband, weds Cindy which later spirals into a rocky marriage.
Blue Valentine’s highly emotional narrative follows the estranged couple trying to salvage their marriage. What initially seemed like a thriving life; a beautiful house and a 5-year-old daughter, the couple hadn’t anticipated the toxic turn in their relationship. Cindy and Dean’s disagreements stem from his lack of ambition and alcoholic mannerisms. But for Dean, family and being present for them comes first.
The highly acclaimed love story earned Williams an Oscar nomination in 2011 and Ryan Gosling a Critics Choice nomination.
Julian in Only God Forgives (2013)
Ryan Gosling plays a drug smuggler, Julian in the 2013 action film set in Bangkok. He is a well-known criminal in the nation’s underworld but it is questionable if he really likes this life. Julian runs a Muay Thai boxing gym where drug deals are done under the table.
Crime thrives in Julian’s family background, with his brother Tom Burke’s Billy murdering a 16-year-old prostitute, whereas his mother, Crystal portrayed by Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, is the head of a criminal organization. After his brother’s death Julian is on a hunt to seek revenge from his killers, further encouraged by his icy mother to “raise Hell” in the city.
However, justice ensues as the police assign the murder investigation to retired cop Chang, portrayed by Vithaya Pansringarm, also called the Angel of Vengeance.
Richard Haywood in Murder by Numbers (2002)
In Murders by Numbers, the 43-year-old star plays the ruthless Richard Haywood, one of the two classmates-turned-killers in the film. The other one is Michael Pitt’s Justin Pendleton. Haywood is a wealthy and popular guy in school, who plans a murder with his introverted friend Pendleton.
The duo kidnap a random woman and strangled her to death along with planting evidence, falsely posing their school janitor Ray Feathers as the criminal. Later, Haywood and Pendleton lie about being at different locations and not knowing each other after Haywood’s footprints were discovered at the crime scene.
Around the end, Haywood falls from a cliff to die following a scuffle with Sandra Bullock’s Det. Cassie while Justin admits to his crime and gets arrested.
Danny Balint in The Believer (2001)
In one of his career’s most controversial movies, Ryan Gosling portrayed the protagonist, Danny Balint, an anti-Semitic Jewish. The film was based on a 1965 report of a neo-Nazi who turned out to be Jewish, per the New York Times.
Directed by Henry Bean, Gosling’s character is portrayed as a clever Yeshiva student who grows up to align with Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler’s beliefs. He is consumed in rejection of his religious beliefs of Judaism and could be found assaulting Jewish individuals on roadsides or subways. After serving in the Army, he joins neo-Nazi organizations, the American Nazi Party, and the Ku Klux Klan.
While the movie is articulate about Danny’s rebellion, it does not provide the reason for the same. Hence, it maintains its controversial tag even decades after its release.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with any kind of abuse or addiction, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same
