Gosling was born in London, Ontario. He is the son of Thomas Ray Gosling, a traveling salesman for a paper mill, and Donna, a secretary. Gosling's parents were Mormons and Gosling has said that the religion influenced every aspect of their lives. His parents divorced when he was a child and he and his older sister Mandi lived with their mother, an experience Gosling has credited with programming him "to think like a girl".
Gosling began performing at a young age and dropped out of high school at 17 to focus on acting. He has been nominated for and won many awards for his performances.
