Ryan Gosling Turned Down Major Role, Forever Disappointing Women Everywhere

Ryan Gosling Turns Down 50 Shades of Grey Role

(Image credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Entertainment)

published 6 September 2013

Ryan Gosling — you're breaking our hearts.

According to a new story in The Hollywood Reporter, the actor was the first choice to play Fifty Shades lead, Christian Grey—the 20-something billionaire whose enthusiasm for S&M shocked readers around the world.

But unfortunately for women everywhere, Gosling was reportedly uninterested and turned down the part. The studio eventually cast Charlie Hunnam, the British actor perhaps best known as Nathan Maloney in Queen as Folk and for his role in the FX series, Sons of Anarchy.

As Anastasia Steele, producers cast Dakota Johnson. The casting choices have been met with some outrage from Fifty Shades uber-fans who were set on seeing other actors fill the roles. But Johnson's mother, actor Melanie Griffith, was all smiles.

Griffith tweeted, "My beautiful child Dakota has been chosen to play Anna Steele in 50 Shades!!! Look out world! Here she comes!!! #proudmama."