Ryan Gosling inspired by Elvis impersonating uncle

Ryan Gosling’s Elvis Presley-impersonating uncle was an "inspiration" to him.

The 36-year-old actor has admitted his uncle used to work as an impersonator for the King of Rock and Roll, and said he even used to help out as part of his act when he was just eight years old.

The Hollywood hunk shared: "My uncle was an Elvis impersonator and I was in his act when I was eight. He was wonderful and an inspiration to me, so that was fun."

And despite his long-running background in all areas of performing – including dancing as part of the cast on ‘All-New Mickey Mouse Club’ in the 1990s – Ryan admits starring in the musical dramedy ‘La La Land’, alongside Emma Stone, was "different".

He told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: "’90s hip hop is a little different from soft shoe and all the other stuff that they asked us to do here.

"I thought maybe some of that might help, but it really didn’t. It was like starting all over again."

The star previously claimed he had been "pushed to [his] limits" on the film set, as there were a number of performance aspects he wasn’t used to.

He said: "Trying to fit the keytar into my schedule of things I had to learn was pretty funny.

"But we were all being pushed to our limits to see what we were capable of.

"We worked for three months on, for instance, one number that happens at sunset where it starts as a scene, then it becomes a song, and then it’s a dance and then it’s a scene again and it all happens in one take."

Meanwhile, it isn’t just Ryan’s uncle who the star cites as an inspiration, as he previously praised his long term partner Eva Mendes and their two children Esmerelda, two, and Amada, seven months, for making him "better".

He said: "All of them are doing amazing. I’m a lucky man – they really make me better.

"They’re angels. It’s the happiest time in my life."