This marks Gosling’s second career Oscar nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role,” the first being ten years ago for his role as Dan Dunne, a teacher battling addiction in Half Nelson. There have been many other occasions where he deserved to be nominated for acting accolades but was snubbed by the Academy (Lars and the Real Girl, The Notebook, Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Blue Valentine), to name several noticeable omissions.
The awards season has been generous to Gosling and the film, La La Land, and the same should hold true on Oscar night, especially since it earned 14 nominations (making it tied for the most-nominated film in Oscar history along with Titanic and All About Eve).
Gosling already won a Golden Globe for his performance, while his co-star Emma Stone won a Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild (SAG), making her a true lock to win the “Best Actress” category. The film also deserves to win “Best Picture,” so whether Gosling does take home the award for “Best Actor,” (or loses either to Casey Affleck or Denzel Washington), his name will be heard in acceptance speeches throughout the night. Gosling’s performance in La La Land is heartfelt, charming and enchanting, and is able to build his character, Sebastian, from within. He really goes out of his comfort zone to deliver a spellbinding performance that people will be talking about for years to come, which is the epicenter of this compelling film.