Ryan Gosling: From Mouseketeer To Oscar Nominee

It's not easy being Canadian in Hollywood: just ask Ryan Gosling, who finds his nationality a point of confusion for many movie fans.

"I can't tell you how many times people go, 'Are you Ryan?' And I go, 'Yeah.' And they say, 'Can I get a picture?' Then they take the picture and realize, in that moment, that I'm not Ryan Reynolds," he said in November's issue of Interview. "I can see the disappointment in their faces. I get that a lot—and I do think it's because we're both Canadian."

In the interview, Gosling talks with comedian and co-star Steve Carell about how he rose through the ranks from Mouseketeer to Oscar nominee. "There were seven kids, three of whom were Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake," he said of his time on the Mickey Mouse Club. Yet Gosling, 29, often felt inadequate among the troupe of singers and dancers. "It was kind of depressing because when I got there, they realized that I wasn't really up to snuff in comparison with what some of the other kids were able to do," he said. "Occasionally I'd have a sketch here or there, but I didn't end up working that much, which was disheartening."

Since then, the actor has managed to surpass his flatfooted roots, earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Believer. His early acting roles were not necessarily so glamorous, however. “It feels like not that long ago that I was on a show called Young Hercules in which I had a fake tan and wore tight leather pants and fought imaginary monsters," he said. –AMY LEE