Eva Mendes Sets The Record Straight On Rumors About Her Career
Eva Mendes has been largely absent from Hollywood in recent years, focusing instead on her family and new business ventures. The "Hitch" star hasn't appeared in a film since 2014's "Lost River," per People, with her telling "The View" that she wouldn't return to acting for just any ol' role. Given her two young daughters with partner Ryan Gosling, Mendes revealed she wanted something "nice and clean" for her next film, adding, "I won't do violence, I don't want to do sexuality ... the list is short."
It's not as if Mendes hasn't had her hands full. In 2019, she joked to Kelly Clarkson that her stay-at-home mom role comprised a multitude of jobs, including being "a chauffeur, a cook, a personal assistant to an abusive boss." Moreover, she has been doing it all without professional help. "I don't have a nanny. No matter how tired I am, I just do it," Mendes told InStyle magazine in 2015 (via ET Canada).
Given her prolonged Hollywood hiatus and shift of focus, many started to believe Mendes retired from acting altogether. Now, she is setting the record straight.
Eva Mendes hasn't quit acting ... but she isn't too eager to return, either
The tales of Eva Mendes' retirement have been greatly exaggerated, as it turns out. Taking to an October 7 Instagram post, Mendes corrected the narrative, writing, "I never quit acting. I wanted to be home with my babies and fortunately my other business ventures allowed me to do that more than acting would."
Moreover, the Hollywood vet explained her absence as symptomatic of her past, typecasted roles. "I was not excited about the stereotypical roles being offered to me at the time. Especially after working on the film 'Lost River' — that was a dream project. That's a tough act to follow," Mendes wrote. "Lost River," a collaboration with partner Ryan Gosling, was one of Mendes' last projects of note. Another, 2013's "The Place Beyond the Pines," was her very first collab with Gosling, on which they met and fell in love. Both films, despite the latter's stellar reviews, failed to find an audience, with neither grossing above $25 million domestically.
So what would sway the un-retired Mendes toward acting again? Other than seeking family-friendly projects, the multifaceted talent prefers her heart to lead the decision-making. As Mendes told People in August, in regards to her professional and personal life, "I stay open to things ... I just follow what I'm passionate about."