Why does Ryan Gosling keep playing terse weirdos?

Canadians love Ryan Gosling. And why shouldn’t they? The London, Ont., native is a homegrown talent doing very well for himself stateside, and is doing Canucks proud in the process.

But there’s something a little puzzling about the Gosling’s career to date: With very few exceptions, the actor – who shot to fame with the 2004 romantic drama “The Notebook” – has played pretty much the same aloof, soft-spoken character in all of his recent movies. Gosling is affable, charming, and funny in interviews and in person, so why does keep going for this type of role?

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After years of light-hearted television and film work on shows like “Breaker High” and “Young Hercules” and movies like “Remember the Titans,” Gosling began his “serious” acting career with a very dark turn in 2001’s “The Believer.” The story of a young Jewish man who becomes a Neo-Nazi, “The Believer” earned Gosling some serious critical praise and made Hollywood take notice. The indie film also prefaced the sort of parts the actor would play again and again in the future.

From there, Gosling spent the oughties playing teenage murderers in “Murder by Numbers” (opposite Sandra Bullock and Michael Pitt) and “The United States of Leland,” a suicidal accident survivor in “Stay,” a drug-addicted inner-city school teacher in “Half-Nelson,” and a quiet loner in love with a doll in “Lars and the Real Girl.” Of course, there were a few pit stops for slightly more upbeat parts in “The Notebook” and “Fracture,” but even those Gosling characters had their darker moments.

Despite a higher profile (thanks in large part to those ten years spent playing tortured souls on film), Gosling hasn’t changed his tune much in this decade, either. If anything his characters have become even more troubled and distant. From a father going through a brutal break-up 2010’s “Blue Valentine” to the ultraviolent unnamed driver in 2011’s “Drive” to the tattooed carnival stuntman turned bank robber in “The Place Beyond the Pines,” it’s safe to say that all of Gosling’s recent characters have had issues.

Heck, even the actor’s most mainstream role to date, that of Sgt. Jerry Wooters in this year’s star-studded crime flick “Gangster Squad,” had problems. Wooters was an alcoholic World War II vet who had clearly seen some things.

So, why is Gosling consistently playing these sort of parts?

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Gosling is notoriously picky about his projects, so this isn’t a case of being typecast – it’s very much a situation of his own making. These dark roles have garnered him critical acclaim, audience adulation, and some major awards nominations. But for most performers it’s not about praise or trophies; it’s just about performing, and most actors will freely admit that characters with issues are usually the most attractive to play.

With these roles Gosling is probably just trying to keep things interesting, and in the process he’s cultivating a career that allows him to continue that unconventional work without falling into the usual rom-com and action trappings usually reserved for Hollywood leading men. That’s yet another reason for Canadians to admire the guy: He’s doing it his way.

Gosling looks to continue that brooding streak with his next project, “Only God Forgives.” The stylish crime film re-teams Gosling with Danish “Drive” director Nicolas Winding Refn, and seems to tread on equally grim territory. The actor plays Julian, a Bangkok drug smuggler who is forced by his overbearing queenpin mother (Kristen Scott Thomas) to avenge the murder of his brother. “Only God Forgives” is set to bow at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or award.

"Only God Forgives" is set for release on July 19.