How Old Was Ryan Gosling In Young Hercules?

"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" was a big hit in the 1990s. In fact, it even spawned a super successful spin-off called "Xena: Warrior Princess," which is arguably the most popular show in the Greek mythology-inspired franchise. Sadly, "Young Hercules" didn't enjoy the same success as either of those shows, but it is notable for giving Ryan Gosling his big break at a young age.

Gosling was 17 when he was cast as the young hero in the prequel series to "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." However, he was 18 by the time he started doing press to promote the project. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, 18-year-old Gosling said that his mother contacted his old bullies to brag about his success, so he clearly wasn't long out of school at the time. "My mother calls every kid that used to beat me up," teenage Gosling said. "She's like, 'Remember Ryan? You used to beat him up, huh? Well, he's Hercules now, you just shut up."

These days, Gosling is a Hollywood A-lister who's known for movies like "Drive," "La La Land," and "Barbie." However, his "Young Hercules" legacy still follows him around, and he sometimes compares himself to that character.

From "Remember the Titans" to "The Nice Guys," Ryan Gosling's oeuvre is vast and diverse. He's played many interesting characters throughout the years, but "Young Hercules" is the one he identifies with the most.

While speaking to Buzzfeed Celeb, he said Young Hercules is the character who's most like him in real life. That said, he doesn't want fans to go down the rabbit hole and watch the show. However, his "Barbie" co-star Margot Robbie wants "Young Hercules" to be rediscovered by modern audiences. "That was a really fun day on set, when you revealed that, and then I went down a whole internet rabbit hole and kept screen grabbing so many pictures. I hope people watch this and go back and watch Young Hercules."

"Young Hercules" might not be Gosling's most famous role, but some people remember it fondly. Furthermore, Gosling's aforementioned interview comments suggest that he can laugh about his younger self playing corny characters.