Ryan Gosling arrives for 'Drive' screening
Actor Ryan Gosling arrives at a special screening of the film 'Drive,' in which the popular Canadian actor stars. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

In less than 24 hours after being posted on YouTube, the Ryan Gosling street fight video has gained more than 285,000 viewers.

Over the weekend, the Canadian actor was seen stopping a fight in the East Village neighborhood of New York. Out of nowhere, Gosling appears in his nautical best (a blue and white striped tank, shorts and blue baseball cap), grabs an arm and escorts the entire group off the road.

The ordeal was caught on camera, thanks to a small group of bystanders. The video was posted on YouTube by the user queenofpinups on Aug. 20. But already, the young woman has been criticized for not stepping in to stop the fight in the first place.

Guys fight over painting and [Ryan] saves the day . . . and yes I stood there why would I jump in when two men are fighting??? I'm a [woman] . . . why would I risk getting hit in the face?? read an updated caption for the video.

Gosling, 31, was quickly deemed a hero overnight by popular media outlets, including this one, after the video went viral.

The Blue Valentine actor is not the only celebrity hero this week. Academy Award winner Kate Winslet reportedly saved Richard Branson's mother from a fire when the actress was staying at the tycoon's Caribbean vacation home. No one was seriously injured in the fire, Branson confirmed on Monday.

Gosling is currently filming in New York City with his Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance on the upcoming movie The Place Beyond the Pines, which also stars Bradley Cooper, Rose Byrne and Eva Mendes. His next film, Drive, arrives in theaters Sept 16.