Born This Week in Film #7: Ryan Gosling and Anne Hathaway

Two actors born two years apart celebrate birthdays on November 12, 2026. Ryan Gosling turns 46, and Anne Hathaway turns 44. Both started young, both became major box-office draws, and both have long records with the Academy Awards.

Ryan Gosling: Born November 12, 1980

Gosling was born on November 12, 1980, in London, Ontario, Canada. He is a Canadian actor, singer, and musician. He has moved between small independent films and big studio releases, and his films as a leading actor have grossed over US$4 billion worldwide.

His first feature was Frankenstein and Me (1996). He followed it with a supporting role in the sports drama Remember the Titans (2000).

Signature roles

Gosling has received three Oscar nominations. They came for the independent drama Half Nelson (2006), the romantic musical La La Land (2016), and the fantasy comedy Barbie (2023). Barbie also became his highest-grossing release.

The three films show how wide his range is. Half Nelson is a small independent drama. La La Land is a musical romance. Barbie is a studio comedy based on a toy line.

Behind the camera and on stage

Gosling has also worked as a director and a musician. He made his directorial debut with the fantasy film Lost River in 2014. Before that, his band Dead Man’s Bones released their self-titled debut album and toured North America in 2009.

Anne Hathaway: Born November 12, 1982

Hathaway was born on November 12, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York City. Acting ran in her family. Her father was an attorney who once worked as a stage hand, while her mother was a stage actress who once toured in Les Miserables.

She grew up in northern New Jersey and was interested in acting from the age of three. Watching her mother perform was part of what drew her to it. In middle school she studied acting at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and appeared in several stage productions there.

From The Princess Diaries to Prada

Her film debut was The Princess Diaries. She followed it with The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement in 2004. The same year she also had roles in the fairytale oriented Ella Enchanted and an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Nicholas Nickleby. After shooting the first Princess Diaries, she entered Vassar College to study English and women’s studies.

Her stardom was solidified with the commercial success of The Devil Wears Prada (2006), starring alongside Meryl Streep. Two years later she earned her first Oscar nomination for her role as a woman in rehab in Rachel Getting Married (2008).

Les Misérables and an Oscar

In 2012 Hathaway played Fantine in the film version of Les Misérables, the same musical her mother had toured in. The role won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

That same year she also played Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Her other big hits since 2010 include the romantic comedies Valentine’s Day (2010) and Love and Other Drugs (2010), the fantasy film Alice in Wonderland (2010).

FAQ

– Has Ryan Gosling won an Oscar?

No. He has been nominated three times, for Half Nelson, La La Land and Barbie.

– Which role won Anne Hathaway her Oscar?

She won for playing Fantine in Les Misérables (2012). The same role also won her a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Header photo: Ministry of culture, sports and Tourism- Lee Jeong-woo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, modified: resized and blended with an AI-generated background. The person in the header is a real photo; only the background is AI-generated.