Over a decade since her last on-screen appearance, Eva Mendes candidly confesses that acting never ignited a fiery passion within her. In a recent sit-down with The Times of the U.K., the 50-year-old actress, who resides in London with her partner Ryan Gosling and their two cherubic daughters, shared, "I never truly fell in love with acting."
"I say this without any self-deprecation, but I wasn't a virtuoso of the craft. There were fleeting moments of brilliance when I collaborated with exceptional talents," she elaborated, highlighting her pride in the two films she shared with Gosling, 43. Their on-screen chemistry shone brightly in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and her final film project, Gosling's directorial debut Lost River (2014). "He somehow unlocks facets of me that have remained untapped," she revealed to the publication.
Mendes embarked on her acting journey in the '90s, with her early credits including a stint on ER in 1998 and two music videos. Before The Place Beyond the Pines, she graced the silver screen in films like A Night at the Roxbury, Training Day, Ghost Rider, The Other Guys, and two installments of the Fast and Furious franchise.
In recent times, Mendes has lent her voice to the beloved children's animated series Bluey, though she's yet to make a comeback on the big or small screen. Reflecting on her early days, she recounted being typecast into "one-dimensional beauty" roles, with her Cuban heritage often influencing casting decisions. "It was a recurring refrain—'she's too ethnic for this, too ethnic for that,'" she recounted. "The irony was palpable. But somehow, that frustration fueled me, igniting a fire within."
According to the outlet, Mendes would likely revisit acting if it involved a project alongside her long-time love. "That's the ultimate dream project for me," she confessed, adding that she occasionally serves as Gosling's acting mentor, even for films like Barbie. "I'd boil it down to basics. I'd say, 'Just make Barbie take notice, that's Ken's whole game.' There was a palpable urgency in my advice, and he loved it," she reminisced, sharing her input on his now-iconic portrayal in Barbie. "Right before he stepped out, I'd remind him, 'Make Barbie see you, make her fall for you.'"
