Eva Mendes explains why she quit acting after starting a family with Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes' relationship has been making headlines in the last few months, despite the fact that the couple have been together for 13 years and have been notoriously private about their life together. The actors rarely mention one another in interviews, and the last time that they walked a red carpet side by side was for the premiere of their film The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012. Aside from sweet nods to one another (think Ryan's sweet 'E' necklace on the Barbie film tour, and Eva's praise for her spouse on Instagram), they are careful to ensure that details of their relationship are not up for public consumption. 

The couple started dating in 2011, but didn't confirm that they were married until 2022. They share two daughters together, Esmerelda, 9, and Amada, 7, and during the press tour for Barbie Ryan confessed that they were the reason he decided to take the role of Ken. But given the intense interest in Ryan following his Barbie success, many have turned their attention to Eva and asked why she suddenly disappeared from the Hollywood scene. 

Eva, 50, addressed the increased interest in their family life earlier this week during an interview on the Today show. She explained that once she had welcomed the couple's two daughters, she instinctively knew that she wanted to take a step back from her acting career and focus on motherhood, instead opting to take jobs that allowed her to work and spend time with her family.

She said: "It was like a no-brainer. I'm so lucky. And I was like, if I can have this time with my children – and I still work, I just didn’t act... because acting takes you on locations, it takes you away."

On making the decision to pivot her career after starting a family with Ryan, Eva continued: "It was almost just like a non-verbal agreement that it was like, 'OK, he’s going to work and I’m going to work. I’m just going to work here.' He went and he did his job. He just happens to be really good at his job. And he did it and he came home."

Ryan also took a break from acting for four years after the birth of his second daughter before returning to the silver screen in 2021. 

Sounds like these two have it sorted!