‘Rambo’: the movie that got Ryan Gosling kicked out of school
American actor Ryan Gosling rose to global fame and fortune in the mid-2000s after starring in films such as The Notebook, Blue Valentine, and Half-Nelson. However, his path toward Hollywood glory began in the 1990s when, as an aspiring 12-year-old, he landed a role as one of the ‘Mouseketeers’ on the Disney Channel’s The Mickey Mouse Club alongside the prominent actor and pop singer Justin Timberlake.
From that moment of child fame, Gosling travelled a well-worn path to the top, but it was anything but a walk in the park. One early setback, which threatened to end his career before it started, came after he became infatuated with Sylvester Stallone’s heroic titular character in Rambo: First Blood. A suspension from school and stricter rules from Gosling’s parents could have led to Gosling’s waning interest in cinema and, in turn, derailed the cinematic legacy he is currently creating.
“When I was a kid, I saw Rambo: First Blood – the movie put a spell on me, and I thought I was Rambo,” Gosling told Jay Leno in 2011. “I even thought my face felt like Sylvester Stallone’s. And I put a bunch of steak knives in my Fisher Price Houdini kit. I took it to school the next day, and I threw them at all the kids at recess. I got suspended, rightfully so, and I’m sorry. I never did anything like that again.”
Adding: “So my parents were like, ‘This guy can’t watch movies. They have too much of an effect on him.’ So I could only watch Bible movies and National Geographic movies. So the next week, I came to school, and I hit a kid in the neck with a blow dart [laughs]. That’s not true; that’s a joke!”
During an interview with ES Magazine at around the same time, Gosling revealed that the incident also spurred his school to suggest an ADHD assessment. However, he was never officially diagnosed with the disorder. Following the suspension, he was homeschooled for a year. Thankfully, his interest in cinema wasn’t damaged by relentless Bible-based and National Geographic movies that his parents insisted he watched instead of the blood-drenched action movies of the decade.
On the subject of the infinitely macho Rambo, Gosling continued his conversation with ES Magazine to discuss the pivotal role of women in his childhood and expressed his wishes for a female president. “I think it needs a woman’s touch,” he said. “I’ve always liked women more. I was brought up by my mother and older sister. I found my way into dance class. My home life now is mostly women. They are better than us. They make me better”.
The actor added: “They are stronger. More evolved. You can tell especially when you have daughters [Esmeralda and Amada], and you see their early stages; they are just leaps and bounds beyond boys.”
“It’s our time as men to be on the receiving end of the stick,” Gosling continued. “I grew up with women, so I’ve always been aware of it. When my mother and I walked to the grocery store, men would circle the block in cars. It was very scary, especially as a young boy. Very predatory; a hunt.”
