Shock, horror Ryan Gosling is taking a break from acting. His reasons? 'I’ve been doing it too much,' he says 'I’ve lost perspective on what I’m doing…I need a break from myself as much as I imagine the audience does.' Say it ain’t so! Depressing as this news is, it gives us a good reason to look back at his best moments...

1)      Feminist Ryan Gosling

Perhaps more than his cinematic oeuvre, Gosling will be remembered for his (inadvertent) contribution to the internet via this Tumblr, which paired pictures of R-Gos looking moodily into the camera and captions which featured  sometimes hilarious, sometimes adorable statements with a feminist bent.

2)      My Little Pony

Amazing. Next time we’d like the theme tune from the Care Bears film please.

3)      Drive

As the anonymously named ‘Driver’, Gosling channelled his inner Pacino in an effortlessly cool Scorpion jacket. Aided by a wonderful Italo Disco soundtrack and some great cinematography from Newton Thomas Sigel, Gosling helped steer (sorry) Drive from ‘crime heist caper’ to ‘modern classic’.

4)      Blue Valentine

Despite some NHS specs and comedy hairline, Gosling and on-screen partner Michelle Williams gave us an acting master class in this semi-improvised, all too believable tale of a love affair going slowly south.

5)      Crazy, Stupid, Love

Gosling played The Fonz to Steve Carell’s Richie Cunningham in this ensemble comedy. R-Gos was surprisingly apt at bringing the lols and a winning chemistry with co-star Emma Stone (the two would star together again in ‘Gangster Squad’). Oh, and then there's those abs...