Gosling began his acting career at a young age, starring in Disney Channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1993–1995) and teen dramas such as Breaker High (1997–1998) and Young Hercules (1998–1999). He transitioned to film with his feature-length debut in Frankenstein and Me (1996) and a supporting role in the sports drama Remember the Titans (2000). He received praise for his performance in The Believer (2001), before emerging as a leading man with his role in the romantic drama The Notebook (2004).

Gosling earned Academy Award nominations for his performances in the independent drama Half Nelson (2006), the romantic musical La La Land (2016), and the fantasy comedy Barbie (2023); the latter became his highest-grossing release. He also starred in acclaimed films such as  Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Blue Valentine (2010), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), The Ides of March (2011), Drive (2011), The Big Short (2015), The Nice Guys (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), First Man (2018), and Project Hail Mary (2026). Gosling made his directorial debut with the film Lost River in 2014.