Gowland was born at 11 Flora Street, Whitworth Spennymoor, the son of a grocer and fruiterer. His brothers Robert and Edward opened the Grand Electric Palace in Spennymoor in 1910, while as Gibson Gowland, he himself appeared in 83 films in England, Germany and the United States. He had a minor part in D.W. Griffiths' famous Birth of a Nation in 1914, where he met Erich von Stroheim, who cast him in his 1919 film Blind Husbands in the important role of Silent Sepp.
Now a star, Gowland was cast in his most famous role, that of McTeague in Erich von Stroheim's classic Greed in 1924. The complete film ran for over nine hours, and MGM were infuriated by the budget overspend. The work was eventually slashed to 140 minutes, and Irving Thalberg destroyed the unwanted footage. Gowland's performance is unforgettable.
Von Stroheim was now seen as a liability in Hollywood, and Gowland's career went into a long decline. He died in London and is buried in an unmarked grave in Golder's Green cemetery.