Eva Mendes Remains Undecided About Acting Return After Taking Hiatus to Prioritize Family

Eva Mendes attends Salvatore Ferragamo's Women's Resort 2012 Collection in New York City on June 28, 2011. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Salvatore Ferragamo

It’s been over a decade since Eva Mendes made the conscious decision to step away from acting. Despite her decision, she said she feels her career in the industry was a big success.

When asked if she would consider returning during an appearance on “Good Morning America” (GMA) Sept. 17, the 50-year-old said she is undecided but would for the right role.

“I don’t know. If there are interesting roles. I left at a time where it was also, 10 years ago ... I kinda felt like I did it, you know?” she said.

Mendes shares two daughters with actor Ryan Gosling and paused her acting career to prioritize motherhood and spend more time together as a family.

The couple met while on set of the 2012 film “The Place Beyond the Pines” before working together again on “Lost River” which would be her final movie project in 2014.

“I was like, ‘I just worked with Ryan Gosling,’ he was the best. It was such a high [of] my career to work with him and what we created together, that I was like, ‘This is a good time to just Seinfeld it and walk out!’” she said.

Mendes said her mindset shifted since having children, and she has channeled her creative abilities into other projects and endeavors including the beauty and fashion industry, and, most recently, a children’s book.

“Desi, Mami, and the Never-Ending Worries” was released in both English and Spanish and addresses childhood anxiety and learning to calm your emotions.

“I hope you can feel how personal this is to me. And that it comes from mi corazón [my heart] to yours!” she wrote via Instagram.

Mendes said she wants the book to open up dialogue on the topic and help other children work through their feelings, as it did hers.

“Once I named [anxiety] 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 told GMA.

“And by naming it and going like, ‘Hey, that’s not you. Don’t believe everything you think. That’s not you, that’s just your brain on overdrive.’”

In previous interviews, Mendes reiterated she has no regrets in stepping back from the big screen and is aware of the privilege she had in doing so.

Speaking to “Entertainment Tonight” back in 2020, Mendes explained being present for her kids is the most important thing in her life, and she has become selective about what roles she'll consider.

“Acting is something that I will always love. It’s just like now that I have children, I’m kind of extreme,” she said.

“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.”

Mendes began her acting career in the late ‘90s but rose to fame following her performance in the 2001 film “Training Day.”

This led to a number of other successful movie credits including “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Hitch,” and a starring role in “Ghost Rider.”