Ryan Gosling Inspired by Elvis Impersonating His Uncle

Ryan Gosling’s uncle, an Elvis Presley impersonator, was an ‘inspiration’ to him.

The 36-year-old actor admitted that his uncle worked as an impersonator of the King of Rock and Roll, and said he even helped him with his show when he was just eight years old.

The Hollywood hunk shared: “My uncle was an Elvis impersonator and I was in his act when I was eight. He was wonderful and an inspiration to me, so it was fun.”

And despite his extensive experience in all aspects of show business – including dancing as part of the cast of “All-New Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1990s – Ryan admits that starring in the musical “La La Land,” alongside Emma Stone, was “different.”

He told “Entertainment Tonight”: “’90s hip-hop is a little different than soft shoe and all the other stuff they asked us to do here.

“I thought maybe it would help, but it didn’t. It was like starting all over again.”

The star previously claimed he was “pushed to his limits” on set as there were a number of aspects of the performance he was not used to.

He said: “Trying to fit the keytar into my schedule of things I had to learn was pretty funny.

“But we were all pushed to our limits to see what we were capable of.

“We worked for three months, for example, on a number that takes place at sunset and starts with a scene, then becomes a song, then a dance, then a scene again, and it all happens in one take.”

Meanwhile, it’s not just Ryan’s uncle that the star cites as an inspiration, as he has previously praised his long-term partner Eva Mendes and their two children Esmerelda, two, and Amada, seven months, for making him “a better person”.

He said: “They all do amazing things. I’m a lucky man, they really make me better.”

“They are angels. This is the happiest time of my life.”