An Updated Ranking of the Best Performances From Ryan Gosling As ‘Project Hail Mary’ Prepares to Blast Off

This really shouldn’t be a shock to you all, but anyone who doesn’t know this prepare to learn that Ryan Gosling is my favorite actor working today. Whether it’s comedy or drama, blockbusters or indies, he always seems at home, committing fully to whatever he’s doing. That alone is worthy of acclaim, but his taste in projects is also impeccable. Back in 2023, Gosling stunned in Barbie, turning in some amazing work. My rave review here at the time said “Gosling is a comedic goldmine and deserves legitimate Best Supporting Actor consideration. The amount that he throws himself into this role is staggering and staggeringly delightful. The commitment itself is hilarious, let alone his comic timing.” In 2024, he led The Fall Guy into theaters, delighting myself and others in the process. Now, he’s back with Project Hail Mary, which is, frankly, a stunning achievement. As such, it again felt like a good time to look upon his career, highlighting his very best work. So, that’s just what I did.

My rave review of Project Hail Mary (here) spoke of Gosling, as well as his alien buddy, like so:

Ryan Gosling, for a good portion of the film, is delivering a one man performance, which he absolutely knocks out of the park. Gosling is able to make you believe that Ryland Grace is a nerdy teacher, an out of his depth astronaut, and humanity’s only hope for survival, sometimes in the same scene. It’s a movie star performance, to be sure, full of charisma, but the empathy you feel for Grace is something Gosling completely aces. Plus, he has all-time buddy chemistry with Rocky, which is a credit to Gosling, as well as the practical effect that is our new alien buddy.

Previously, in my review of The Fall Guy (here), I had the following to say about Gosling, including his chemistry with co-stars:

Ryan Gosling is channeling his vibe from The Nice Guys here, to great effect. While Gosling gets the best material and the most screen time, Emily Blunt is great as well, having a blast being in a power position. Blunt and Gosling also have terrific chemistry, as does Gosling with Winston Duke.

Below, you can see where things currently stack up with Gosling for yours truly. He has incredibly underrated range. From high drama to big comedy, he’s proven he can do it all. For my money, and I’ll share my top ten list below, he’s never been better than in Blue Valentine, one of my favorite performances of the past 25 years. That being said, Barbie is my favorite male performance from its year and an instantly iconic addition to his filmography. Your list will obviously differ from mine, but I’m definitely curious to see where everyone stands on his work, both the Oscar nominated and the snubbed alike. Where does Project Hail Mary land for me on the Gosling chart? Find out next…

Here now are my top ten Ryan Gosling performances, as it stands today:

Honorable Mention: The Believer, Crazy Stupid Love, The Fall Guy, The Ides of March, The Slaughter Rule, and The United States of Leland

10. The Place Beyond the Pines

9. The Nice Guys

8. Lars and the Real Girl

7. Project Hail Mary

6. La La Land

5. First Man

4. Drive

3. Half Nelson

2. Barbie

1. Blue Valentine

What are your favorite performances from Ryan Gosling? Let us know!