Ever since I first saw Ryan Gosling on “Breaker High,” I knew he was something special.

As the scrawny, awkward and romantically challenged Sean Hanlon, Gosling’s character on the late ’90s teen series was a far cry from the beefed up, confident ladies man he portrayed in “Crazy, Stupid, Love." Yet he still showed a charisma that was undeniable.

The Canadian actor has since become one of Hollywood’s leading men and very few can deny his charm -- or his acting chops.

Yet despite breaking through to the mainstream with 2004’s “The Notebook” and delivering powerful performances in everything from 2007’s “Lars and the Real Girl” to 2010’s “Blue Valentine,” the 31-year-old has only been acknowledged by The Academy once, with a Best Actor nod for his role as a cocaine sniffing middle-school teacher in 2006’s “Half Nelson.”

Fast forward to 2011 -- something I like to call “The Year of Ryan Gosling.” The Canadian actor showed off his “Photoshopped” abs as a smooth-talking womanizer in “Crazy, Stupid Love,” portrayed a violent, yet quiet, getaway car driver in “Drive” and played an idealistic press secretary who gets in over his head in the George Clooney-directed drama “The Ides of March.”

But when the 2012 Oscar nominations were announced last month, Gosling’s name was surprisingly absent from the list that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Demian Bichir.

Richard Crouse, film critic for Canada AM, thinks Gosling was definitely snubbed.

“After having three movies, ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,’ ‘Drive,’ and ‘Ides of March,’ where he handed in completely different and really fully realized performances in all three of them, I think it was a huge oversight not to have him at least on the list.”

But etalk reporter and gossip blogger Lainey Lui thinks the Academy got it right.

“I know that we’re Canadian and we’re supposed to be like, ‘Oh my God, Ryan Gosling, rah rah rah,’ but I don’t know that this was a snub. I don’t really support all the hoopla of people who are rising up against Ryan Gosling being ignored,” says Lui, who believes Michael Fassbender was the one snubbed, for not getting nominated for his exposed performance as a sex addict in “Shame.”

Lui explains that Gosling had a big year in 2011 simply because he was in a lot of movies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the kinds of movies the Academy would recognize. “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” for example, was a comedy, a genre that is rarely acknowledged by the Academy.

“Drive” also may not have been the right fit for the Oscars, says Lui.

“I think he was great in ‘Drive’ but I don’t think ‘Drive’ has the popular mass appeal that’s going to make it count with these voters.”
 
Lui says that even though Gosling is one of the most talented actors in the early 30s age group, he wasn’t chosen this time because the Academy is waiting for him to “drop the hammer on one of those all-time memorable performances” like Jamie Foxx in “Ray” or Russell Crowe in “Gladiator.”

“I think that everyone knows that he has it in him and that it’s coming. It will come in two years, five years, 10 years, there’s no rush and that’s why I don’t think he was chosen. I think they have confidence they can honour him later on,” says Lui.

She points to Leonardo DiCaprio as an example. The 37-year-old actor, who many thought should’ve been nominated this year for his performance in “J. Edgar,” has delivered several dynamic performances over the years but has never won an Oscar.

“It’s the same reason. The Academy’s like, ‘Leo, you’re really good. You’ll get it eventually.’ And I think it’s the same with Ryan. They really are like, ‘Not so fast, young ‘un,’” says Lui.

“Ryan’s been nominated before for ‘Half Nelson’ and I think that was their way of welcoming him to the club.”

Where Lui did see Gosling being snubbed by the Academy was for the movie “Blue Valentine.” The film was mostly improvised by the actor and his co-star Michelle Williams and together, the pair showed an intimate, and at times uncomfortable, look at the breakdown of a relationship.

“’Blue Valentine’ was a dance between two characters and they honoured Michelle Williams with a nomination and her performance could not have happened without him.”

But not being nominated this year doesn’t seem to be bothering Ryan Gosling himself.

When The Hollywood Reporter asked him whether he felt snubbed he simply said, “No.”

Fellow actor Russell Crowe, however, disagreed. The “Gladiator” star called the Academy’s decision “bullshit.”

I agree with Crowe. But whether or not Gosling should have been included in the Best Actor category, he should’ve at least been nominated for something I like to call the “body of work” award.

 “Or certainly just an Oscar for his body,” says Crouse with a laugh. 

About Sheri Block

Sheri Block has been covering entertainment for CTV.ca since 2008. In addition to covering Will and Kate’s Royal Wedding in London, Sheri’s highlights have included going on tour with “Canadian Idol,” being a stand-in on “Canada’s Next Top Model” and meeting Colin Farrell at the Toronto International Film Festival.Follow her on Twitter!