While she has plenty of other things going on in her life, most people think of Eva Mendes first as an actor. If you're one of those people, it may come as a surprise to you that she hasn't taken on a single live-action role in the last eight years. Instead, Mendes has been focusing on her business ventures and raising her two children with partner Ryan Gosling. But, just because it's been a long time since fans have seen her on the big screen, that doesn't mean the 48-year-old has retired from acting. In a new interview, Mendes shared that she hopes to return to performing at some point, but she has two conditions. Read on to see what she had to say.
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Mendes' last movie role was in 2014.
Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTubeThe last time Mendes acted on screen was in 2014's Lost River, which was written and directed by Gosling. Prior to that, in 2013, she was in the HBO movie Clear History, and in 2012, she co-starred with Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines and was also in Girl in Progress and Holy Motors.
Mendes has taken on one acting role since 2014, but it was a voice-only performance in an episode of the animated kids' series Bluey in 2021.
She'll return to acting on two conditions.
In her interview on The View, Mendes said that she would return to acting if the part meets her requirements.
"I have such a short list of what I will do. Before kids, I kind of was up for anything," Mendes said with a laugh. "I mean, you know, if it was a fun project. But now I won’t do… I don’t want to do violence. I don’t want to do sexuality."
Asked by host Sunny Hostin if she would return for the right project, Mendes responded, "I hope so. I would like to. It has to be nice and clean." Whoopi Goldberg then suggested "stuff like Disney does," and Mendes said, "Disney, perfect."
Some of Mendes' most high-profile, pre-motherhood projects include elements of sexuality and violence, including The Place Beyond the Pines, Training Day, and 2 Fast 2 Furious.
She wants to "set an example."
Phillip Faraone/Getty ImagesAs reported by Us Weekly, in 2020, Mendes was asked by an Instagram follower when fans would see her in a new movie again. She responded, "As a mother now, there are many roles I won’t do. There are many subject matters that I don’t want to be involved with, so it limits my choices and I’m fine with that. I have to set an example for my girls now. But no worry, I got some side hustles. Ha! Thanks for asking. All the best for 2020.”
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She took on her most recent role because of her kids.
Sonia Recchia/Getty ImagesMendes' only recent credit, her voice role on Bluey, was for her children. Before she even did the cameo, she was talking about how much her kids love the show.
"They love Bluey! Bluey is huge in our house. Huge," she told Now to Love about the Australian cartoon. "It's really beautiful, I really love Bluey. They get kind of this crazy energy afterwards and they play tricks on us."
Mendes and Gosling have two children, seven-year-old Esmeralda and six-year-old Amada. The couple have been together since 2011.
She stays busy with other projects.
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for New York & CompanyMendes has continued working, just outside of the film industry. "I was still working," she said on The View. "I just wasn’t acting, because, as you know, it takes a lot of time."
As for what that work entails, Mendes talked about her co-ownership of the sponge brand Skura Style on The View. She also collaborated with the clothing brand New York & Company.
Plus, being on an acting hiatus means she has more time for her kids. "I'm an actress, I've designed clothes, I've done a number of different things. But this is the most creative thing, is to create life with them," she told Today in a recent interview. She added of being able to spend time with them, "I just felt lucky enough, I'm like, 'Damn, I really want this time with them.' And then now, you know, I'm obsessed."
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