Whether or not Ryan Gosling gets nominated for a Golden Globe on Thursday, he's already got a major honor to celebrate.
The Canadian actor/eccentric/heartthrob/meme was named Coolest Person of the Year by Time Magazine's Joel Stein on Wednesday, earning the title for his mix of prolific acting excellence, Manhattan street peace keeping, pursuit of varied interests and dedicated following.
"We defined cool in the classic Marlon Brando way an unshakable calm mixed with a confidence that comes from not needing others," Stein wrote of the parameters for an award winner. "Cool is more how than what; we considered world leaders, singers, hackers and a newsmagazine columnist who one of us thought was an obvious pick."
Gosling, who starred in films ranging between romantic comedies ("Crazy, Stupid, Love.") to political dramas ("The Ides of March") to pulpy stylized B-movie thrillers ("Drive"), fit the bill, with a potential clincher coming when his fans staged a protest outside the Time-Life building when People Magazine named Bradley Cooper the Sexiest Man in the World.
The award is especially salient given a recent interview Gosling gave, in which he revealed that his director on "The Notebook," Nick Cassavetes, told him that he was cast in the role because he wasn't "handsome or cool."
The Oscar-nominee doesn't hide his eclectic interests, whether it's ukelele playing or a penchant for theme parks; during one interview with Conan O'Brien this fall, he spoke for nearly an entire segment on his love-hate relationship with Disneyland, including an epic explanation of their alleged ninja cat army.
Stein appreciates these traits, commending him for being, "an Oscar nominee who also smokes, tags graffiti and has a predilection for posing with a fist to the camera but makes dioramas and takes public ballet classes alongside little girls too. He's the only actor since Andy Kaufman to work as a waiter after making it in show business. One who has a rock band that spent a month accompanying a children's marionette show in Los Angeles."
In the next year, Gosling should up his cool factor even more; he's starring in a number of anticipated films, including "The Place Beyond The Pines" with the aforementioned Cooper, and "Gangster Squad," with a cast that includes Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone.
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