Michelle Williams - the surly actress who used to be with Heath Ledger, not the former member of Destiny’s Child - split with her baby’s father sometime in late summer of this year. In November she was linked with Junebug director Phil Morrison, but that either didn’t work out or she’s playing the field, because she was seen out to dinner with hot Canadian actor Ryan Gosling. They even took a stroll together. His rep insists that they were just discussing a potential project, though:

[Michelle Williams] was spotted enjoying a romantic meal in NYC with Ryan Gosling on November 11! After dining at Italian restaurant Piadina, the two 27-year-olds were seen strolling the city’s famed Bleecker street. Reps for Ryan, who ended his relationship with Rachel McAdams in March and was linked with Hayden Panettiere earlier this month, say the two met to discuss an upcoming film project.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, December 31, 2007]

Gosling had us all gossiping this fall when he gained twenty pounds for a role in Peter Jackson’s film The Lovely Bones, but was dumped from the project and replaced by Mark Wahlberg just a few days before filming was set to begin. Rumor had it that director Jackson thought Gosling had gained too much weight, but Gosling sang Jackson’s praises in a subsequent interview and said that they had creative differences over whether he was too young for the part.

Gosling seems like a great guy considering how mature and thoughtful he comes off in interviews. He has spoken candidly about his breakup with longterm girlfriend and fellow star of The Notebook, Rachel McAdams. He called her “one of the great loves of my life,” and said that they “went down swingin’ and… called it a draw.” If Michelle Williams is getting a piece of that she’s a lucky woman. He’s a major step up from Heath Ledger.

It could be true that Gosling and Williams were just having a romantic intimate dinner to discuss work and all, but since they’re both attractive single people you can’t help but think there’s something going on there.

Ryan Gosling is shown at the premiere of Lars and the Real Girl on 10/2/07. Michelle Williams is shown at the NY film festival on 10/4/07, thanks to PRPhotos.