Paul Allen
Born	(1953-01-21) January 21, 1953 (age 59) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Residence	Mercer Island, Washington, U.S.
Alma mater	Washington State University (Dropped out in 1974)
Occupation	Co-founder of Microsoft Chairman of Vulcan Inc., Investor
Net worth	US$ 14.2 billion (2012)[1]

Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an American investor and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, a leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications. He is also the 48th richest person in the world along with Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco (and family) who ranks the same with an estimated wealth of $14.2 billion as of March 2012.^[1]. He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his business and philanthropic efforts. Allen also has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio which includes technology companies, real estate holdings, and stakes in other technology, media, and content companies. Allen also owns two professional sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL),^[2] and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[3] He is also part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2009.^[4] Allen's memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft was released on April 19, 2011.

Early life and career[link]

Paul Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, to parents Kenneth Samuel Allen, an associate director of the University of Washington libraries, and Edna Faye (née Gardner) Allen, on January 21, 1953.^[5] Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school in Seattle, and befriended Bill Gates, who was almost three years younger and shared a common enthusiasm for computers.^[6] They used Lakeside's Teletype terminal to develop their programming skills on several time-sharing computer systems.^[7] After graduation, Allen attended Washington State University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity but dropped out after two years in order to work as a programmer for Honeywell in Boston, placing him near his old friend again.^[7] Allen later convinced Gates to drop out of Harvard University in order to create Microsoft.

Microsoft[link]

Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, and began marketing a BASIC programming language interpreter.^[6] Allen came up with the original name of "Micro-Soft," as recounted in a 1995 Fortune magazine article.^[8] In 1980, after promising to deliver IBM a Disk Operating System (DOS) they had not yet developed for the Intel 8088-based IBM PC, Allen spearheaded a deal for Microsoft to purchase a Quick and Dirty Operating System (QDOS) written by Tim Paterson who, at the time, was employed at Seattle Computer Products. As a result of this transaction, Microsoft was able to secure a contract to supply the DOS that would eventually run on IBM's PC line. This contract with IBM was the watershed in Microsoft history that led to Allen and Gates' wealth.^[7]

Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1982. His cancer was successfully treated by several months of radiation therapy. However, he did not return to Microsoft and began distancing himself from the company.^[7] Allen officially resigned from his position on the Microsoft board in November 2000 but was asked to consult as a senior strategy advisor to the company's executives.^[9] He sold 68 million shares of Microsoft stock that year,^[10] but still owns a reported 138 million shares.^[11]

Recognition[link]

In 2007 and 2008, Allen was listed among the Time 100 Most Influential People in The World.^[12]

He received the Vanguard Award from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association on May 20, 2008.

On October 30, 2008, the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors honored Paul Allen for his “unwavering commitment to nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest and lifetime giving approaching US$1 billion.”^[13][14] Paul Allen has received awards and honorary degrees from several universities. In May 1999, Washington State University bestowed its highest honor, the Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award, upon him. He received a Docteur honoris causa from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne on March 31, 2007.

On October 26, 2008, Paul Allen was given the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz for his "visionary achievements as a businessman and a global philanthropist."

On January 31, 2009, Paul Allen received a special merit award from the Oregon Sports Authority.

Philanthropy[link]

Paul Allen has made contributions to organizations related to health and human services, and toward the advancement of science and technology. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation was established in 1986 to administer most of his contributions.^[15] Through the Foundation, Allen awards approximately $30 million in grants annually.^[16] Roughly 60% of the Foundation's money goes to non-profit organizations in Seattle and the state of Washington, and 12% to Portland, Oregon. The remaining 28% is distributed to other cities within the Pacific Northwest and internationally.^[16] Since 1990, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has awarded $428 million to non-profit organizations, as of 2010.^[17] That includes charitable projects known as "venture philanthropy". The most famous of these projects are the Experience Music Project, Seattle Cinerama Theatre, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Flying Heritage Collection (airworthy vintage military aircraft) and the Allen Telescope Array (ATA).^[17] The ATA is a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and the SETI Institute.^[18] Allen has a flower fly named after him for his contributions to Dipterology, called Paul Allen's flower fly.^[19] Allen has also funded the purchase of many Jimi Hendrix artifacts, including the guitar Hendrix played at Woodstock, and ensured their public display in the Experience Music Project exhibits.^[20]

In December 2010, it was announced that Paul Allen had pledged $26 million to his alma mater, Washington State University, for its School for Global Animal Health. The gift will be the largest received by the university. In the late 1980s, Allen donated US$18 million to build a new library at the University of Washington, named after his father, Kenneth S. Allen.^[21] US$5 million was donated in 2003 to establish the Faye G. Allen Center for Visual Arts, named after his mother.^[22] Allen was also the top private contributor, with US$14 million in donations, and namesake, of the "Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering", which was designed by LMN Architects of Seattle and completed in 2003.^[23] Throughout the years, Allen has contributed millions of US$ to the University of Washington Medical School.^[24] The foundation awarded US$3.2 million for prostatitis research in 1997, followed by an additional $1.0 million grant in 2002.^[25] More recently, the foundation contributed $5.0 million for an early cancer-detection project at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.^[26]

With his sister, Jo Lynn Allen, Paul Allen pledged $100 million in 2003 to found the Allen Institute for Brain Science, a nonprofit corporation (501(c) (3)) and medical research organization. Utilizing the mouse model system (given its great similarity to human DNA), 20,000 genes in the adult mouse brain were mapped to a cellular level for the Allen Brain Atlas. The data generated from this effort is contained in the free and publicly available Allen Brain Atlas application.

On July 16, 2008, Allen launched a $ 41 million online "Allen Spinal Cord Atlas" mouse gene map. Allan Jones, chief scientific officer, said: "The Allen Spinal Cord Atlas offers profound potential for researchers to unlock the mysteries of the spinal cord and how it is altered during disease or injury." The spinal cord atlas is set up like the Allen Institute's earlier atlas of the mouse brain.^[27] The Map could reveal new treatments for human neurological disorders. The map points researchers toward places where genes are active^[28][29][30]

On November 19, 2008, Allen appeared at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Hall of Fame to present the second annual Founder's Award for musical achievement. The award was presented to Robbie Robertson, a founding member of the seminal 1960s band The Band and a noted composer of film scores. Allen founded the museum in 2000. The award was presented as part of a gala benefit for EMP. The finale was a four-song set with all the evening's musicians on stage, including Allen and Robertson on guitar.

Paul Allen is also a founding member of The International SeaKeepers Society and hosts its proprietary SeaKeeper 1000TM oceanographic and atmospheric monitoring system on all three of his megayachts.

On November 15, 2009, Jody Allen, Paul Allen's sister and the CEO of Vulcan made public that Paul had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of cancer in the lymph system. As of October 2010, he has been free of cancer.^[31]

On May 24, 2010, Allen launched the Allen Human Brain Atlas, a publicly available online atlas charting genes at work throughout the human brain. The data provided represent the most extensive and detailed body of information about gene activity in the human brain to date, documenting which genes are expressed, or "turned on" where.^[32]

A report in February, 2012, named Allen as the most charitable living American in 2011. Allen's donations, totaling $372.6 million, were beat out by only two others, both of them are deceased.^[33]

In March 2012 he continued the funding of the Allen Institute for Brain Science with a contribution of $300 million to look at how we see.^[34][35]

Investments[link]

Paul Allen (third from right) and Burt Rutan (fifth from right) were presented with the Ansari X PRIZE by members of the X PRIZE Foundation in 2004.

Ticketmaster[link]

In 1993, Paul Allen invested $243 million to acquire 80% of Ticketmaster. Under his ownership, Ticketmaster moved into the Internet in 2 phases: it started in June 1995 by displaying a searchable database of Ticketmaster's events; on September 11, 1996, the first transaction came in. The company went public on 19 November 1996. In 1997, David Geffen introduced Barry Diller to Paul Allen, who was increasingly frustrated at Fred Rosen, Ticketmaster's CEO, and was looking for a change at the helm: in May, Home Shopping Network acquired 47.5% of Allen's stock for $209 million worth of HSN stock.^[36]

Interval Research Corporation[link]

In 1992, he and David Liddle cofounded Interval Research Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based laboratory and new business incubator that was dissolved in 2000 after generating over 300 patents,^[37] four of which were the subject of Allen's August 2010 patent infringement lawsuit against AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo!, and YouTube.^[38][39]

Spacecraft[link]

Allen confirmed that he was the sole investor behind Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne suborbital commercial spacecraft on October 4, 2004.^[40] SpaceShipOne climbed to an altitude of 377,591 feet (115,090 m) and was the first privately funded effort to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space. It won the Ansari X Prize competition and received the $10 million prize.^[41]

On December 13, 2011, Allen announced Stratolaunch Systems. Stratolaunch is a proposed orbital launch system consisting of a dual-bodied, 6 engine jet aircraft, capable of carrying a rocket to high altitude; the rocket would then separate from its carrier aircraft and fire its own engines to complete its climb into orbit. The carrier aircraft would utilize carbon composites as well as 747 jet engines and parts. If successful, this project would be the first wholly privately funded space transport system.^[42]

South Lake Union[link]

Allen was a key developer and investor in the development of the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle as a biotechnology hub and mixed-use community.^[43] He was also the largest private landowner in South Lake Union and owns nearly 2,600,000 square feet (240,000 m²) in the neighborhood.^[43] His holdings company has a development capacity of more than 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m²) of new residential, office, retail and biotech research space.^[43] The South Lake Union redevelopment represents one of the largest urban revitalization projects in the country.^[44] Allen has made investments estimated at US$200 million as of 2005, and promoted for city funding of the Seattle Streetcar line known as South Lake Union Streetcar, which runs from Seattle's Westlake Center to the south end of Lake Union.^[45] The Streetcar is a public and private partnership made possible because of a Local Improvement District (LID) supported by businesses and residents along the line;^[46] it officially started operation on December 12, 2007.^[47] This development has been criticized as a city-supported real estate investment for Vulcan Inc.,^[48] and concerns over the loss of low-income housing have been expressed.^[49]

Octopus[link]

The launch of Paul Allen's 416 feet (127 m) yacht, Octopus, secured its position as one of the world's largest yachts in 2003.^[50] As of 2011, it is 12th in the list of motor yachts by length. The yacht is equipped with two helicopters, two submarines, a swimming pool, a music studio and a basketball court.^[51] Allen also owns Tatoosh, also one of the world's 100 largest yachts.

Allen is known for throwing huge, celebrity-studded parties on his yacht, such as a 2005 New Year's Eve party in which he and his band played Johnny Cash songs with R&B star Usher. His band also played at another party he hosted during the Cannes film festival with keyboardist Dave Stewart.^[51][52][53]

Sports[link]

Portland Trail Blazers[link]

Allen purchased the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team in 1988 from California real estate developer Larry Weinberg for $70 million.^[3] He was also instrumental in the development and funding of their Rose Garden in 1993.^[7] The Blazers are valued at approximately $300 million according to a 2006 issue of Forbes.^[54] Allen has been asking Portland and Oregon officials for assistance in the financing of the Blazers since 2006, which he estimated would lose $100 million over the next three years.^[55] Then-Portland Mayor Tom Potter rebuffed the requests.^[56] Allen announced the completion of the acquisition of the Rose Garden on April 2, 2007, and stated that this was a major milestone and a positive step for the franchise.^[57] He said, “My efforts are focused on continuing to support the Trail Blazers and the long-term financial health of the franchise."^[58] As of 2010, according to a 2011 issue of Forbes, the Portland Trail Blazers were worth $356 million, ranked No. 14 out of 30 NBA teams.^[59]

Seattle Seahawks[link]

Allen purchased the Seattle Seahawks NFL team in 1997 when former owner Ken Behring threatened to move the Seahawks to Southern California.^[2] Allen was allowed to buy the team despite owning the NBA's Trail Blazers because Portland doesn't have an NFL team. (NFL rules prohibit team owners from either outright ownership or a majority share of another sports team outside its home market if they play in the same city as another NFL team.) He played a large part in the development of the new Seahawks' stadium, CenturyLink Field, although it was funded largely by tax revenue.^[60]

Seattle Sounders[link]

Allen's Vulcan Sports & Entertainment is part of the ownership team of the Seattle Sounders FC, a Major League Soccer franchise that began play in 2009 at CenturyLink Field, a stadium also controlled by Paul Allen.^[4] The ownership team also includes film producer Joe Roth, businessman Adrian Hanauer, and comedian Drew Carey. Sigi Schmid, two-time MLS Cup winner, is the team’s head coach.

The Sounders sold out every home game during its first season, setting a new MLS record for average match attendance and the most season tickets sold in the league. The team finished the 2009 season with a winning record and qualified for the MLS playoffs, where they were eliminated in the conference semi-finals. Seattle Sounders FC is only the second expansion team in MLS history to win the U.S. Open Cup tournament in its first season, and in 2010 became the first team to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champion in almost three decades, in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in the history of the 97-year-old tournament.

Recognition[link]

On January 26, 2011 at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Paul Allen was named Seattle Sports Commission Sports Citizen of the Year, an award that has been renamed the Paul Allen Award.

Filmmaking[link]

Paul and Jo Lyn Allen are the owners and executive producers of Vulcan Productions, a filmmaking company headquartered in Seattle. Vulcan Productions’ mission is to initiate, develop and finance independent film projects of substance and enduring significance. Their projects support the passionate vision of the artist, while challenging and celebrating the world of ideas and human values. Through their collaborative partnerships with established and emerging filmmakers, Vulcan Productions explores creative opportunities that result in engaging and inspirational storytelling.

Their films have received prestigious recognition, ranging from a Peabody to Independent Spirit Awards to Golden Globes, Emmys and Grammys, and have also been nominated for Academy Awards, among many others.

As of 2011, Vulcan Productions’ Web-based project, Success at the Core, is providing a comprehensive professional toolkit that helps middle school leadership teams and teachers elevate classroom instruction for significantly improved student success. This Emotional Life, a documentary series on psychology created by Vulcan Productions and the NOVA/WGBH Science Unit in 2010, examines the human desire and struggle for happiness. This multi-platform project also includes pertinent resources for audiences, including innovative toolkits in the areas of early childhood attachment and the emotional health of military families—two areas covered in depth in the series.

In March 2011, Vulcan Productions' This Emotional Life won three medals at the 2011 New York Festival Television and Film Awards. They include:

• Gold Medal — Film Production
• Gold Medal — Health/Medical Information
• Silver World Medal — Direction ("Facing Our Fears" episode)

Books[link]

• Allen, Paul, Idea Man: a memoir by the co-founder of Microsoft, New York : Portfolio/Penguin, 2011. ISBN 978-1-59184-382-5

See also[link]

• List of select cases of Hodgkin's Disease

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rich, Laura, The accidental zillionaire: demystifying Paul Allen, Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, 2003. ISBN 0-471-23491-5

External links[link]

• Paul Allen official home page
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Paul Allen on Charlie Rose
• Works by or about Paul Allen in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Paul Allen collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Paul Allen collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal
• Paul Allen entry from The Oregon Encyclopedia
• Paul Allen at THOCP.net
• Business profile at Forbes

Charlie Rose
Rose in May 2010
Born	Charles Peete Rose, Jr. (1942-01-05) January 5, 1942 (age 70) Henderson, North Carolina, U.S.
Education	Duke University B.A. (1964) Duke University J.D. (1968)
Occupation	Talk show host Journalist
Years active	1972–present
Notable credit(s)	Charlie Rose, 60 Minutes II, 60 Minutes, CBS News Nightwatch, CBS This Morning
Website
http://www.charlierose.com/

Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. (born January 5, 1942)^[1] is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993. He has also co-anchored CBS This Morning since January 2012. Rose, along with Lara Logan, has hosted the revived CBS classic Person to Person, a news program during which celebrities are interviewed in their homes, originally hosted from 1953 to 1961 by Edward R. Murrow.^[2]

Early life[link]

Rose was born in Henderson, North Carolina, the only child^[3] of Margaret Frazier and Charles Peete Rose, Sr., tobacco farmers who owned a country store.^[4][5] As a child, Rose lived above his parents' store in Henderson and helped out with the family business from age seven.^[6] Rose admitted in a Fresh Dialogues interview that as a child his insatiable curiosity was constantly getting him in trouble.^[7] A high school basketball star, Rose entered Duke University intending to pursue a degree with a pre-med track, but an internship in the office of Democratic North Carolina Senator B. Everett Jordan got him interested in politics.^[8] Rose graduated in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in history. At Duke, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. He earned a Juris Doctor from the Duke University School of Law in 1968.^[6] He met his wife, Mary (née King), while attending Duke.^[3][4]

Career[link]

After his wife was hired by the BBC (in New York), Rose handled some assignments for the BBC on a freelance basis. In 1972, while continuing to work at Bankers Trust, he landed a job as a weekend reporter for WPIX-TV. His break came in 1974, after Bill Moyers hired Rose as managing editor for the PBS series Bill Moyers' International Report. In 1975, Moyers named Rose executive producer of Bill Moyers Journal. Rose soon began appearing on camera. "A Conversation with Jimmy Carter," one installment of Moyers's series U.S.A.: People and Politics, won a 1976 Peabody Award. Rose worked at several networks honing his interview skills until KXAS-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth hired him as program manager and gave him the late-night time slot that would become the Charlie Rose show.

Rose worked for CBS News (1984–1990) as the anchor of CBS News Nightwatch, the network's first late-night news broadcast. The Nightwatch broadcast of Rose's interview with Charles Manson won an Emmy Award in 1987.^[4] In 1990, Rose left CBS to serve as anchor of Personalities, a syndicated program produced by Fox Broadcasting Company, but he got out of his contract after six weeks because of the tabloid-style content of the show. Charlie Rose premiered on PBS station Thirteen/WNET on September 30, 1991, and has been nationally syndicated since January 1993. In 1994, Rose moved the show to a studio owned by Bloomberg Television, which allowed for improved satellite interviewing.^[9]

Rose was a correspondent for 60 Minutes II^[10] from its inception in January 1999 until its cancellation in September 2005, and was later named a correspondent on 60 Minutes.^[11]

Rose was a member of the board of directors of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation from 2003 to 2009.^[3] In May 2010, Charlie Rose delivered the commencement address at North Carolina State University.

On November 15, 2011, it was announced that Rose would return to CBS to help anchor CBS This Morning, replacing The Early Show, commencing January 9, 2012, along with co-anchors Erica Hill and Gayle King.

Cameo appearances[link]

Rose has appeared as himself in the 1998 film Primary Colors,^[12] in a 2000 episode of The Simpsons^[13] and in the 2008 movie Elegy.^[14] He and his show were also used in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums. He also appears as himself in the 2011 George Clooney directed film, The Ides of March.

[edit] Accusations of conflict of interest

While hosting the 2002 Coca-Cola Company shareholders' meeting, Rose said "few companies are able to connect as completely with consumers in the way that Coca-Cola is. It is a privilege to be associated with [The Coca-Cola family] ... This is the business of Coca-Cola: being part of a family, being worldwide, doing well and doing good at the same time."^[15] Afterward, Coca-Cola agreed to become what Rose called "a leading underwriter" of The Charlie Rose Show, paying "six or possibly seven figures."^[16] Even the Charlie Rose mugs used on his PBS show feature a Coca-Cola logo on one side.^[17][18] Although CBS News policy bars correspondents from doing commercials and product endorsements, the Washington Post reported CBS was "comfortable" with Rose's actions. Rose insists he "would never do a story on 60 Minutes II about anybody who underwrites my PBS show."^[16]

[edit] Quiet influence

The New York Times reported that Rose encouraged a discussion between the leaders of NBC and Fox, that led eventually to a mutual reduction in ad hominem attacks between Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly on their respective news programs.^[19]

Rose has attended several Bilderberg Group conference meetings, including meetings held in the United States in 2008;^[20] Spain in 2010;^[21] and Switzerland in 2011.^[22] These unofficial conferences hold guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are political leaders and businessmen. Details of meetings are closed off to the public and strictly invitation-only, and critics^[who?] speculate the controversial nature of these meetings of highly influential people. Accusations from conspiracy theorists against The Charlie Rose show claim that it has become the US media outlet for Bilderberg.^{[23][unreliable source?]}

Personal life[link]

Rose's twelve-year marriage to Mary Rose (née King) ended in divorce in 1980. Mary is the sister-in-law of Morgan Stanley Chairman John J. Mack. Since 1993, his companion has been socialite and chairman of the New York City Planning Commission and director of the city department of planning Amanda Burden, a stepdaughter of CBS founder William S. Paley.^[24]

On March 29, 2006, after experiencing shortness of breath in Syria, Rose was flown to Paris and underwent surgery for mitral valve repair in the Georges-Pompidou European Hospital. His surgery was performed under the supervision of Alain F. Carpentier, a pioneer of the procedure.^[25] Rose returned to the air on June 12, 2006, with Bill Moyers and Yvette Vega (the show's executive producer), to discuss his surgery and recuperation.

In a 2009 Fresh Dialogues interview, Rose described his life as "great and glorious."^[7] He added, '"I get up every morning with a new adventure. The adventure is fueled by interesting people. I get a chance to control my own destiny. I do something that is immediately either appreciated or not. I get feedback."

Rose owns a 575-acre (2.33 km²) farm in Oxford, North Carolina, an apartment overlooking Central Park in New York City, a beach house in Bellport, New York, an apartment in Washington D.C.^[3] and an apartment in Paris, France.

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2012)

• Charlie Rose Official website of his eponymous show
• Charlie Rose official channel on YouTube
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Charlie Rose at the Internet Movie Database
• Charlie Rose collected news and commentary at the Los Angeles Times
• Charlie Rose collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Charlie Rose at the Notable Names Database
• Charlie Rose shows on Hulu
• celebritynetworth.com, Celebrity Net Worth, Charlie Rose
• Why Business Loves Charlie Rose David A. Kaplan, Fortune, September 28, 2009

Ryan Gosling
Gosling at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Ryan Thomas Gosling (1980-11-12) November 12, 1980 (age 31) London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actor, musician, restaurant owner
Years active	1993–present

Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor and musician. He began his career as a child star on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club (1993–95) and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs including Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995), Goosebumps (1996), Breaker High (1997–98) and Young Hercules (1998–99). His first serious role was as a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer (2001), and he then built a reputation for playing misfits in independent films such as Murder by Numbers (2002), The Slaughter Rule (2002), The United States of Leland (2003) and Stay (2005).

Gosling came to the attention of a wider audience in 2004 with a leading role in the romantic drama The Notebook, for which he won four Teen Choice Awards and an MTV Movie Award. His performance as a drug-addicted teacher in Half Nelson (2006) was nominated for an Academy Award and his performance as a socially inept loner in Lars and the Real Girl (2007) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 2007, he starred in the courtroom thriller Fracture.

After a three-year acting hiatus, Gosling starred in both Blue Valentine and All Good Things in 2010. The former performance as a frazzled husband earned him a second Golden Globe nomination. 2011 proved to be a landmark year for the actor as he appeared in three mainstream films – the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, the thriller Drive and the political drama The Ides of March – and received two Golden Globe nominations. He is due to appear in five upcoming films: the period crime feature Gangster Squad, the generational drama The Place Beyond the Pines, the revenge drama Only God Forgives, an as-yet-untitled Terrence Malick film, and a remake of the sci-fi film Logan's Run.

Gosling's band, Dead Man's Bones, released their self-titled debut album and toured North America in 2009. He is a co-owner of Tagine, a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. He is a supporter of PETA, Invisible Children and the Enough Project and has travelled to Chad, Uganda and eastern Congo to raise awareness about conflicts in the region.

Early life[link]

Ryan Thomas Gosling was born in London, Ontario.^[1] He is the son of Thomas Gosling, a traveling salesman for a paper mill,^[2] and Donna, a secretary who qualified as a high school teacher in 2011.^[3] Because of his father's work, they "moved around a lot"^[2] and Gosling lived in both Cornwall, Ontario,^[4] and Burlington, Ontario.^[5] His parents were Mormons,^[6] and Gosling has said that the religion influenced every aspect of their lives.^[7] His parents divorced when he was a child and he and his older sister Mandi lived with their mother,^[8] an experience Gosling has credited with programming him "to think like a girl".^[9]

Gosling was educated at Gladstone Public School,^[10] Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School and Lester B. Pearson High School.^[11] He "hated" being a child,^[7][12] was bullied in elementary school^[13] and had no friends until he was "14 or 15".^[14][15] In Grade 1, having been heavily influenced by the film First Blood, he took steak knives to school and threw them at other children during recess. This incident led to a suspension.^[12] He was unable to read^[16] and was diagnosed with ADHD, prescribed Ritalin, and placed in a class for special needs students.^[17] Consequently, his mother quit her job and homeschooled him for a year.^[17] Gosling has said that homeschooling gave him "a sense of autonomy that I've never really lost".^[7]

Gosling performed from an early age. He and his sister sang together at weddings; he performed with Elvis Perry, his uncle's Elvis Presley tribute act,^[18] and was involved with a local ballet company.^[19] Performing boosted his self-confidence as it was the only thing he received praise for.^[15] He developed an idiosyncratic accent because, as a child, he thought having a Canadian accent didn't sound "tough". He began to model his accent on that of Marlon Brando.^[20] He dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen to focus on his acting career.^[21]

Acting career[link]

Child star (1993–1999)[link]

In 1993, at the age of twelve, Gosling attended an open audition in Montreal for a revival of Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club.^[22] He was given a two-year contract as a mouseketeer and moved to Orlando, Florida.^[21] He appeared on-screen infrequently because other children were considered more talented.^[23] Nonetheless, he has described the job as the greatest two years of his life.^[21] Fellow cast members included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and Gosling has credited the experience with instilling in them "this great sense of focus."^[24] He became particularly close friends with Timberlake and they lived together for six months during the second year of the show. Timberlake's mother became Gosling's legal guardian after his mother returned to Canada for work reasons.^[25] Gosling has said that, while they are no longer in touch, they are still supportive of each other.^[24]

Following the show's cancellation in 1995, Gosling returned to Canada and continued to appear in family entertainment television series including Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995),^[26] Goosebumps (1996)^[27] and Breaker High (1997–98).^[28] At the age of eighteen, he moved to New Zealand to film the Fox Kids adventure series Young Hercules (1998–99).^[29] While he initially enjoyed working on the series, he began to long for an opportunity to play a variety of characters and decided not to accept any more television work.^[21]

Move to independent film (2000–2003)[link]

At the age of nineteen, Gosling decided to move into "serious film". He was dropped by his agent and initially found it difficult to secure work because of the "stigma" attached to children's television.^[30] After a supporting role in the football drama Remember the Titans, Gosling secured a lead role as a young Jewish neo-Nazi in 2001's The Believer. Director Henry Bean has said he cast Gosling because his Mormon upbringing helped him understand the isolation of Judaism.^[31] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised an "electrifying and terrifyingly convincing" performance^[32] while Todd McCarthy of Variety felt his "dynamite performance" could "scarcely have been better".^[33] The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival^[34] and Gosling has described it as "the film that kind of gift-wrapped for me the career that I have now."^[18] Because of the controversial nature of the film, it was difficult to secure financial backing for a full theatrical release^[35] and the film was instead broadcast on Showtime.^[35] The film was a commercial failure, grossing just $416,925 worldwide from a production budget of $1.5 million.^[36]

In 2002's Murder by Numbers,^[37] Gosling and Michael Pitt portrayed a pair of high school seniors who believe they can commit the perfect murder. Sandra Bullock starred as a detective tasked with investigating the crime. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly described him as "a phenomenal talent even in junk like this"^[38] while Todd McCarthy of Variety felt that the "strong and "charismatic" young actors were "let down by the screenplay".^[39] The film was a minor commercial success, grossing $56 million worldwide from a production budget of $50 million.^[40] His second screen appearance of 2002 was in The Slaughter Rule which explores the relationship between a high school football player and his troubled coach in rural Montana. Gosling has said that the opportunity to work with David Morse made him "a better actor".^[41] Stephen Holden of The New York Times described Gosling as "major star material" with a "rawness and an intensity that recall the young Matt Dillon"^[42] while Manohla Dargis of the Los Angeles Times was won over by his "raw talent".^[43] The film was released in just three US theaters and grossed $13,411.^[44]

In 2003, Gosling starred in The United States of Leland as a teenager imprisoned for the murder of a disabled boy. He was drawn to the role because it was unusual to find a character that was "emotionally disconnected for the whole film."^[45] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times felt that the "gifted actor does everything that can be done with Leland, but the character comes from a writer's conceits, not from life."^[46] A.O. Scott of The New York Times noted that he "struggles to rescue Leland from the clutches of cliché"^[47] while David Rooney of Variety felt that his "one-note, blankly disturbed act has none of the magnetic edge of his breakthrough work in The Believer".^[48] The film grossed $343,847 in the United States and was not released overseas.^[49]

[edit] The Notebook and Half Nelson (2004–2009)

Gosling came to the attention of a mainstream audience in 2004 after starring opposite fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams in the romantic drama The Notebook.^[50] Gosling sought to imbue his character with "quiet strength" and was inspired by the performance of Sam Shepard in Days of Heaven.^[51] Filming took place in Charleston, South Carolina in late 2002 and early 2003.^[52] Although Gosling and McAdams became romantically involved in 2005, they had a combative relationship on set.^[53] "We inspired the worst in each other," Gosling has said. "It was a strange experience, making a love story and not getting along with your co-star in any way."^[54] At one point, Gosling asked director Nick Cassavetes to "bring somebody else in for my off-camera shot" because he felt McAdams was uncooperative.^[53] The New York Times praised the "spontaneous and combustible" performances of the two leads and noted that, "against your better judgment, you root for the pair to beat the odds against them."^[55] Desson Thomson of The Washington Post praised Gosling's "beguiling unaffectedness" and noted that "it's hard not to like these two or begrudge them a great love together".^[56] The film grossed over $115 million worldwide and, with adjustments for inflation, it remains the most commercially successful film of Gosling's career as of 2012.^[57] Gosling won four Teen Choice Awards^[58] and an MTV Movie Award.^[59] Entertainment Weekly has said that the movie contains the All-Time Best Movie Kiss^[60] while the Los Angeles Times has included a scene from the film in a list of the 50 Classic Movie Kisses.^[61] The Notebook has appeared on many Most Romantic Movies lists.^{[62][63][64][65]}

Gosling at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2005, Gosling appeared as a disturbed young art student in Stay, a psychological thriller co-starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. In an uncomplimentary review of the film, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times said that Gosling "like his fans, deserves better."^[66] Todd McCarthy of Variety felt that the "capable" McGregor and Gosling "deliver nothing new from what they've shown before".^[67] The film grossed $8 million worldwide.^[68] Gosling was unfazed by the negative reaction: "I had a kid come up to me on the street, 10 years old, and he says, ‘Are you that guy from Stay? What the f--- was that movie about?’ I think that's great. I'm just as proud if someone says, ‘Hey, you made me sick in that movie,’ as if they say I made them cry.”^[69]

Gosling next starred in 2006's Half Nelson as a drug-addicted junior high school teacher who forms a bond with a young student. To prepare for the role, Gosling moved to New York for one month before shooting began. He lived in a small apartment in Brooklyn and spent time shadowing an eighth grade teacher.^[70] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described "a mesmerizing performance ... that shows the kind of deep understanding of character few actors manage."^[71] Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle drew comparisons with Marlon Brando and declared that "nobody who cares about great acting will want to miss his performance".^[72] Roger Ebert felt the performance "proves he's one of the finest actors working in contemporary movies."^[73] He was nominated for an Academy Award.^[16] The film grossed $4 million at the worldwide box office.^[74]

Gosling played an introvert who falls in love with a sex doll in the gently comedic 2007 film Lars and the Real Girl. He drew inspiration from James Stewart's performance in Harvey.^[75] Roger Ebert felt "a film about a life-sized love doll" had been turned into "a life-affirming statement of hope" because of "a performance by Ryan Gosling that says things that cannot be said".^[76] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post described his performance as "a small miracle ... because he changes and grows so imperceptibly before our eyes."^[77] However, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times felt "the performance is a rare miscalculation in a mostly brilliant career."^[78] He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.^[79] The film was a box office failure, failing to recoup its $12 million production budget.^[80]

Gosling starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 2007 courtroom thriller Fracture. He originally turned down the role, but changed his mind when Hopkins signed on.^[81] He spent time shadowing lawyers and observing courtroom proceedings in preparation for the role.^[82] Claudia Puig of USA Today declared that "watching a veteran like Hopkins verbally joust with one of the best young actors in Hollywood is worth the price of admission".^[83] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times felt it was a treat to watch "the spectacle of that crafty scene stealer Anthony Hopkins mixing it up with that equally cunning screen nibbler Ryan Gosling ... Each actor is playing a pulp type rather than a fully formed individual, but both fill in the blanks with an alchemical mix of professional and personal charisma."^[84] The film grossed over $91 million worldwide.^[85]

Gosling was due to begin filming The Lovely Bones in 2007. However, he left the production two days before filming began because of "creative differences" and was replaced by Mark Wahlberg.^[86] Gosling had been cast as the father of the murdered teenage girl and initially felt he was too young for the role. The director Peter Jackson and the producer Fran Walsh persuaded him that he could be aged with hair and make-up changes.^[87] Before shooting began, Gosling gained 60 pounds in weight and grew a beard in order to appear older.^[87] Walsh then "began to feel he was not right. It was our blindness, the desire to make it work no matter what."^[87] Gosling later said, ""We didn't talk very much during the preproduction process, which was the problem ... I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed."^[87] He has said the experience was "an important realisation for me: not to let your ego get involved. It's OK to be too young for a role."^[88]

Widespread recognition (2010–2011)[link]

Following a three year absence from the big screen, Gosling starred in five movies in 2010 and 2011. "I’ve never had more energy,” Gosling has said. “I’m more excited to make films than I used to be. I used to kind of dread it. It was so emotional and taxing. But I’ve found a way to have fun while doing it. And I think that translates into the films.”^[30] He has also spoken of feeling depressed when not working.^[15]

In 2010, he co-starred with Michelle Williams in Derek Cianfrance's directorial debut, Blue Valentine. The low-budget marital drama was mainly improvised and Gosling has said "you had to remind yourself you were making a film".^[89] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle felt he "brings a preternatural understanding of people to his performance"^[90] while A.O. Scott of The New York Times found him "convincing as the run-down, desperate, older Dean, and maybe a bit less so as the younger version".^[91][91] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly noted that he "plays Dean as a snarky working-class hipster, but when his anger is unleashed, the performance turns powerful."^[92] However, Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe felt the performance was an example of "hipsterism misdirected".^[93] He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. ^[94] The film was a box office success, grossing over $12 million worldwide from a production budget of $1 million.^[95]

Gosling at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

Gosling's second on-screen appearance of 2010 was in All Good Things, a mystery film based on a true story. He played the role of New York real-estate heir Robert Durst, who was investigated for the disappearance of his wife (played by Kirsten Dunst).^[96] Gosling found the filming process to be a "dark experience".^[97] When asked if he was proud of the film, he replied, "I'm proud of what Kirsten does in the movie."^[97] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone felt he "gets so deep into character you can feel his nerve endings."^[98] Mick La Salle of the San Francisco Chronicle found the "chameleonic Gosling is completely convincing as this empty shell of a man".^[99] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times felt that the film belonged to Dunst, but noted that Gosling "is good too".^[100] The film grossed $644,535 worldwide.^[101] Also in 2010, Gosling narrated and produced ReGeneration, a documentary that explores the cynicism in today’s youth towards social and political causes.^[102][103]

2011 saw Gosling expand his horizons by appearing in three diverse, high-profile roles. He appeared in his first comedic role in Crazy, Stupid, Love opposite Steve Carell and Emma Stone.^[104] Gosling took cocktail-making classes at a Los Angeles bar in preparation for his role as a smooth-talking ladies' man.^[105] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said his "seductive command presence suggests we may have found our next George Clooney".^[106] Peter Travers declared him "a comic knockout"^[107] while Claudia Puig of USA Today felt he reveals a "surprising" "knack for comedy."^[108] He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.^[109] The film was a box office success, grossing over $142 million worldwide.^[110] With adjustments for inflation, it is the second most successful of Gosling's career.^[111]

Gosling's first action role was in Drive, based on a novel by James Sallis.^[112] Gosling portrayed a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a getaway driver and he has described the film as a "violent John Hughes movie": "I always thought if Pretty in Pink had head-smashing it would be perfect".^[113] Roger Ebert compared Gosling to Steve McQueen and stated that he "embodies presence and sincerity ... he has shown a gift for finding arresting, powerful characters [and] can achieve just about anything.^[114] Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal pondered "the ongoing mystery of how he manages to have so much impact with so little apparent effort. It's irresistible to liken his economical style to that of Marlon Brando."^[115] The film was a box office success, grossing $70 million worldwide from a production budget of $15 million.^[116]

In his final appearance of 2011, Gosling was directed by George Clooney in the political drama The Ides of March, in which he played an ambitious press secretary.^[117] Gosling partly decided to do the film to become more politically aware: "I'm Canadian and so American politics aren't really in my wheelhouse."^[118] Joe Morganstern of the Wall Street Journal said that Gosling and Philip Seymour Hoffman "are eminently well equipped to play variations on their characters' main themes. Yet neither actor has great material to conjure with in the script."^[119] In an generally tepid review, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times asserted that it was "certainly involving to see the charismatic Gosling verbally spar with superb character actors like Hoffman and [Paul] Giamatti."^[120] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle felt there was "one aspect to the character that Gosling can't quite nail down, that might simply be outside his sphere, which is idealism."^[121] He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.^[109] The film grossed $66 million worldwide.^[122]