Eva Mendes has recently surfaced with candid reflections on her career trajectory and her view of acting. Opening up, she revealed she “was never in love with acting,” explaining there’s no hurried desire to break her decade-long hiatus from the screen. Her last notable film appearance was over eight years ago in Lost River<\/strong> [https:\/\/trailers.movieetv.com\/search\/lost-river<\/a>], directed by her partner, Ryan Gosling. Aside from lending her voice to a 2021 episode of the children’s series \u201cBluey,\u201d Mendes has kept a low profile in the entertainment sphere.<\/p>\n Mendes has shared that her relationship with acting has always been ambivalent. “I was never in love with acting. I don\u2019t mean this in a self-deprecating way, but I wasn\u2019t a great actress,” she admitted. Nonetheless, she acknowledged that she experienced rewarding moments, particularly when working with acclaimed directors and actors. <\/p>\n Exploring her most cherished roles, Mendes credits Gosling for drawing out her finest performances. “He gets something out of me that\u2019s never been accessible before,” she explained, referring to her roles in The Place Beyond the Pines<\/strong> [https:\/\/trailers.movieetv.com\/search\/the-place-beyond-the-pines<\/a>] and Lost River<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While Mendes has shown an interest in possibly returning to acting, she has set clear criteria for any future projects. During a 2022 appearance on “The View,” she mentioned that she would only consider roles that are special and deviate from themes of violence or sexuality. Reinforcing this sentiment in her latest interview, she pointed out that acting in another project with Gosling would be the ideal context to make her comeback: “That\u2019s the one thing I would love to do.”<\/p>\n This preference aligns with Mendes’ desire to avoid the sexualized roles that often marked her earlier career. With 16 years in the industry, she frequently found herself cast in shallow, eye-candy roles. Reflecting on these experiences, she admitted, “There were some pretty shitty roles.”<\/p>\n Mendes has also been candid about the challenges she faced due to her heritage. Early in her career, she often encountered barriers because of her ethnicity. “That\u2019s all they would say at the beginning \u2014 \u2018she\u2019s too ethnic for this, too ethnic for that,\u2019” Mendes recalled. <\/p>\n Yet, the tide eventually shifted with changing industry trends. “It switched to, \u2018Oh, ethnic is cool now\u2019 or, \u2018Being Latina is cool,\u2019” Mendes observed. These shifting perceptions, though belated, provided her with a renewed sense of energy and determination.<\/p>\n Her final leading film role was in the 2012 drama Girl in Progress<\/strong> [https:\/\/trailers.movieetv.com\/search\/girl-in-progress<\/a>], directed by Patricia Riggen. Despite its modest box office performance, grossing only $3 million, Mendes’ portrayal was significant. That same year, she took on supporting roles in cinematic gems like Holy Motors<\/strong> [https:\/\/trailers.movieetv.com\/search\/holy-motors<\/a>], captivating Cannes audiences, and The Place Beyond the Pines<\/strong>, which received critical acclaim.<\/p>\nMendes and her ambivalence towards acting<\/h2>\n
The lure of returning to the screen<\/h2>\n
Navigating industry biases and stereotypes<\/h2>\n
Highlighting critical roles and underappreciated performances<\/h2>\n