Ryan Gosling to take a break from acting: ‘I’ve been doing it too much’

All good things come to an end, even where Ryan Gosling is concerned.

In a new interview with the Associated Press, the 32-year-old "Gangster Squad" star has admitted he is in dire need of a break -- and he plans to take one after he completes all the projects he is currently signed on for. Though his fans would likely disagree, Gosling apparently believes he has reached his acting limit.

"I've been doing it too much," he said. "I've lost perspective on what I'm doing. I think it's good for me to take a break and reassess why I'm doing it and how I'm doing it. And I think this is probably a good way to learn about that. I need a break from myself as much as I imagine the audience does."

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The last time Gosling took an extended break from his career was after he appeared in "Lars and the Real Girl" in 2007. His next film was "Blue Valentine," which did not hit cinemas until three years later. But unlike this time around, his previous break from acting was not really by choice.

Gosling was due to film "The Lovely Bones" in 2008, but he was replaced by Mark Wahlberg after Gosling and director Peter Jackson had "creative differences." According to Gosling, he was fired because he grew a beard and gained 60 pounds (by drinking melted Häagen-Dazs, he said).

"We didn't talk very much during the preproduction process, which was the problem," Gosling told the Hollywood Reporter. "I just showed up on set, and I had gotten it wrong. Then I was fat and unemployed."

Aside from that unintentional breather, Gosling has been working steadily, appearing in at least one project every year since 1995. However, in recent years he has been taking more vacations with girlfriend Eva Mendes, travelling through Europe with her in 2011 and bringing her home to Canada last summer (they made stops in St. Catharines, Montreal, and Niagara Falls).

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This year, there isn't much room for a romantic getaway. The Canadian actor's schedule is packed with the release of "The Place Beyond the Pines," "Only God Forgives," and an as-yet-untitled Terrence Malick film, all of which will require Gosling to make promotional appearances in the coming months. In between, he is working on his directorial debut "How to Catch a Monster," set for release in 2014, which will require another promotional push.

Bad news for tired Gosling, but not for us. It means we don't have to start missing him until 2015. Phew!