Putting in the work! Eva Mendes compared life raising two children with Ryan Gosling to working at a bed and breakfast with demanding guests.
The Hitch star, 46, opened up about parenthood during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, October 17. Mendes and the Notebook star, 39, share daughters Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 4.
“Sometimes it feels like we are running some kind of bed and breakfast with very drunk and aggressive guests,” she said. “We really do feel like we are working in a hotel, and the guests are angry and bossy and demand food brought to them. And by the time they go to sleep, we’re left to just clean up and talk about how they’ve treated us that day!”
Although it’s hard raising two children amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mendes said she tries to stay positive.
“When we feel like we’re just ‘in it’ like all parents do during these times, we remind ourselves that these are the good times because we’re all together and we’re all safe right now,” she said.
The couple began dating after meeting on the set of their 2012 movie The Place Beyond the Pines. The pair — who have kept their private life low-key — welcomed Esmeralda in 2014 and Amada less than two years later.
The Miami native told the Sydney Morning Herald that she pumped the brakes on her acting career for her kids.
“I feel like, as far as my ambition, it didn’t go away, it just shifted onto the children,” she explained.
However, she’s considering making a comeback to the screen as her daughters get older.
“I applaud and look up to those women who can do it all, but I’m not one of them – and, thankfully, I have a choice not to work and I realize how fortunate I am that it’s even a choice,” Mendes said. “I’ve been so happy to be able to incubate with my babies, but now they are 4 and 6, I’m starting to feel like my ambition is coming back.”
A source told Us Weekly in April that Mendes and Gosling take parenting seriously — even when it gets challenging.
“They’re hands-on parents and don’t have any nannies,” the insider said at the time. “Being confined to their home with two small children is exhausting at times, especially without hired help.”
The source added, “Eva has programmed her entire routine and career to ensure family comes first — then work fits in around it.”
Listen to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!