Famous Porcupine: Ryan

He Hated Being a Kid

Childhood was not fun for Ryan. In fact, he hated being a kid. He didn’t like being told what to do (a common theme among porcupines), and he was teased and bullied in elementary school. When he was six, after watching First Blood, the first Rambo movie, he brought steak knives to school in his backpack. He thew them at other children during recess, which got him suspended.

Things were rough at home too. He grew up in a strict religious household that controlled every aspect of his life. His family also moved a lot due to his father’s job. Ryan’s parents divorced when he was 13.

Ryan also struggled with learning. He had a really hard time learning to read and said that he couldn’t absorb any information in school. His mother decided to homeschool him for a while because of constant the abuse from other students. It wasn’t until high school that he developed friends, and according to his IMBD profile, he continues to not have many friends as an adult.

Performing was a Bright Spot

A bright spot for Ryan was performing. He sang at weddings with his sister and performed in talent shows. He even sung in his uncle’s Elvis Presley tribute act. When he was 12, he successfully auditioned for The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, and that provided a launching pad for a career in acting.

As a teenager, Ryan appeared in shows like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and at age 17, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in acting. He played a variety of roles through the early 2000’s and by 2105 he was an established star.

Now a bonafide superstar, Ryan Gosling has gone on to star in hit movies such as La La Land, Barbie, and, most recently, Project Hail Mary. He has received many accolades including a Golden Globe Award and several Academy Award nominations.

Click here to read stories of more famous porcupines. Be sure to check out the book that inspired this series: Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies for Supporting Our Most Challenging Students.

Citations: The information for this story was drawn from several sources:

Author

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has been an educator for many years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond.

As a classroom teacher, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award and was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written ten books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Rekindle Your Professional Fire: Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher.

When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, sorting baseball cards and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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