Ryan Gosling to step back from acting

The Hollywood heartthrob, who's recently starred in Drive, Crazy, Stupid, Love. and The Ides of March, is stepping out of the limelight in favour of working behind the camera.

The 32-year-old actor, who cemented his status as a cult crush with his turn in retro romance The Notebook, has said: "I've been doing it [acting] too much. 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."

He went on to tell the Huffington Post: "There's a lot of pressure to be the lead of a film. I have done it. It's not my favorite way to work." Before saying "I need a break from myself as much as I imagine the audience does" - which, judging by his rising star status, is far from the truth.

Gosling is currently preparing for his directing and writing debut in How to Catch A Monster, a dark fantasy film with a star studded cast including Doctor Who's Matt Smith, Christina Hendricks, Eva Mendes, Saoirse Ronan and Ben Mendelsohn.

But while Gosling's future projects sadly seem more likely to be behind the camera than in front of it, fans needn't worry that he will be immediately missing from our cinema screens. Gosling is set to star in upcoming releases Only God Forgives and The Place Beyond the Pines alongside Eva Mendes and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper.

Gosling first found fame playing Noah alongside Rachel McAdams' Allie in Nicholas Sparks' adaptation The Notebook. He's since starred in Blue Valentine, Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Gangster Squad.

Watch the trailer for The Place beyond the Pines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhb2F5df4Vg