Eva Mendes, who has been on a hiatus from acting for over a decade to focus on motherhood, opens up about her possible return to the big screen.
For the past ten years, Eva Mendes has been a doting mother to her two daughters, Esmerelda and Amada, with longtime love Ryan Gosling. While Gosling's career has flourished with blockbuster hits like "The Big Short," "La La Land," and "Barbie," Mendes has taken a step back from acting to prioritize her family.
"Consciously deciding to curb her appearances on the big screen," Mendes has turned her creative energy to other ventures, including fashion, makeup, and her latest project, a children's book titled "Desi, Mami, and The Never-Ending Worries."
Eva Mendes on Return to Acting: "I Don't Know. If There's Interesting Roles...
In a recent appearance on "Good Morning America" to promote her book, Mendes addressed the burning question of whether she plans to return to acting.
"I don't know. If there's interesting roles...I kind of felt like I did it, you know? I was like, ‘I just worked with Ryan Gosling. He's like, the best,'" she said, referring to their collaboration in "The Place Beyond the Pines."
Eva Mendes on Return to Acting: "I Don't Know. If There's Interesting Roles...
"It was such a high [in] my career to work with him and what we created together, that I was like, ‘This is a good time to like 'Seinfeld' it, and just walk out.' So, who knows?"
Mendes' perspective on acting has evolved since becoming a mother. "Acting is something that I will always love. It's just like now that I have children, I'm kind of extreme," she told Entertainment Tonight in 2020.
Eva Mendes on Return to Acting: "I Don't Know. If There's Interesting Roles...
"There's just so many things I won't do. Like, I won't do most of the movies I've done in the past. A lot of things are off that list. I don't want to do anything too violent. Of course, I don't want to do anything too sexual or sexual at all."
Despite her reduced screen time, Mendes did make a brief appearance in the children's show "Bluey" in 2021, which was met with enthusiasm in her household.
Eva Mendes on Return to Acting: "I Don't Know. If There's Interesting Roles...
Writing her children's book has also proven to be a parenting tool for Mendes. "Desi has these never-ending worries — I have them as well," she shared. "And she tries to work with her brain to...make sure it's not being a bully to her, by sending all these negative thoughts her way, and that it's being like a BFF to her."
By defining the brain as a bully in her book, Mendes found it helped to calm her daughters' anxiety. "Once I named it a bully, that your brain could be a bully to you, sending you all these crazy thoughts and down a spiral, it helped me...help them deal with their anxiety," she said.
Eva Mendes on Return to Acting: "I Don't Know. If There's Interesting Roles...
Mendes' children are also fans of her latest literary venture. "They love it," she said. "They love it. They're very harsh critics though."
Mendes recounted a heartwarming moment with her daughter who was struggling. "My little girl, who just turned 10, was having a hard time, and I swear to you, I walk into her room, she's reading the book...That really got to me," she shared.
While Mendes is uncertain about her acting future, her fans will always cherish her past performances and her unwavering commitment to motherhood.
