'I just lean on Eva': Ryan Gosling opens up about raising two children with Eva Mendes in small California town
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hollywood hunk Ryan Gosling is a doting father, who took a long-acting hiatus to raise his two loving daughters with long-term girlfriend Eva Mendes. Gosling, 42, and Mendes, 49, started dating in 2011 when they first shared the screen in 'The Place Beyond the Pines', in which they played a couple with an infant son.
The ‘La La Land’ star recently reflected on their romance and revealed that he didn’t think much about becoming a father until the moment Mendes told him she was pregnant. “Eva said she was pregnant,” Gosling told GQ, adding “I would never want to go back, you know? I’m glad I didn’t have control over my destiny in that way because it was so much better than I ever had dreamed for myself.” The couple soon welcomed their first child, daughter Esmeralda, in 2014, followed by a second daughter, Amada, in 2016. Although the pair has opened up more about their relationship in recent years, they are still hesitant to share too much information about their daughters. Gosling now resides in the tranquil community of Carpenteria in southern California and travels with his family to each location where he films a movie.
'She knows what's important, always'
While speaking to GQ, Gosling noted that he took a four-year break from the entertainment industry because he "wanted to spend as much time as I could with [his family]." The actor also stated that he was able to clearly define boundaries between his personal and professional lives after taking a break from performing. “I treat it more like work now, and not like it’s, you know, therapy. It’s a job, and I think in a way that allows me to be better at it because there’s less interference,” he said.
'The Gray Man' actor continued by opening up about his parenting dynamic, stating that he “just lean on Eva” when he doesn’t know what to do in a situation. "I just lean on Eva. She knows what's important, always. She just somehow knows. So if ever I'm in my head about it, I just ask her,” he noted. Later in the interview, Gosling confirmed earlier remarks he had made regarding the time Mendes discovered she was expecting their first daughter. "I mean, it's true that I wasn't thinking about kids before I met her, but after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn't want to have kids without her," the actor said.
Ryan Gosling’s daughter’s dolls inspired him to play Ken in ‘Barbie’
"And there were moments on The Place Beyond the Pines where we were pretending to be a family, and I didn't really want it to pretend anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have,” he continued. Gosling’s daughters continue to motivate him; after all, he was inspired to play 'Barbie's Ken by their Ken doll. "I did see him, like, face down in the mud outside one day, next to a squished lemon," Ryan shared, adding "and it was like, This guy's story does need to be told, you know?" Helmed by Greta Gerwig, ‘Barbie’ is slated to release on July 21, 2023. Apart from Gosling, the fictional drama also stars Margot Robbie, Dua Lipa, Emma Mackey, Sharon Rooney, and Alexandra Shipp among others.