Ryan Gosling Turns 44! All the Ways He and Eva Mendes Have Supported Each Other Over the Years

Mar. 15, 2025

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes.Photo:Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis/Getty; Alexander Tamargo/FilmMagic

Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis/Getty; Alexander Tamargo/FilmMagic

Happy birthday, Ken — wait, no —Ryan Gosling!Three-timeAcademy Awardnominee Gosling marks his 44th birthday on Tuesday, Nov. 12, capping off a year in which hesang “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Oscarsin March and costarred withEmily BluntinThe Fall Guy.Gosling, who sharesdaughters Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, 8, with his longtime partnerEva Mendes, tends to stay out of the spotlight when he is not pulling offimpressive stuntsordancinghis way through movies likeBarbieandLa La Land. Here are some insights into how Gosling and Mendes, 50, support each other more than 12 years after the couple first costarred in 2012’sThePlace Beyond the Pines.First and foremost, Gosling maintains an exalted status as Mendes' biggest cheerleader; when the actor spoke withExtrain May about Mendes being featured in PEOPLE’s 2024Beautiful Issue, he said, “It should just be her in the issue, basically, but I understand they have to have other people in there.”Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling on Aug. 4, 2024.LOIC VENANCE/AFP via GettyIn that interview, Gosling also noted that Mendes' decision to step away from acting after 2014’sLost River— which Gosling wrote and directed — helps the couple balance their work commitments with parenting responsibilities. “She is with the girls, and when she works, I stay home with the girls too,” he toldExtraat the time. “I couldn’t be here without her.“In Mendes' interview for PEOPLE’s Beautiful Issue in May, she gave rare insight into the couple’s home life when she said Gosling cooks and she cleans. “I’m not going to tell you that but in all the ways I need to be supported,” she said, when asked how Gosling supports her. “He’s got me in all the ways.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Mendes complimented how Gosling boosts her sensuality and self-confidence while speaking with UK newspaperThe Timeson Oct. 17. “I feel really f—— sexy at times,” she said at the time. “The way my man looks at me is just … at times I’m like, oh my God. That might not sit well with people, but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he’s giving me.”Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling on Sept. 7, 2012.Getty"There’s so many things that can make me feel sexy and I’d say that I feel more sexy than not,” she added in that interview. “I guess because I’ve never considered myself beautiful, but I’ve always felt very sexy.”Additionally, both Gosling and Mendes have noted that she puts in work as Gosling’s acting coach for his onscreen roles in recent months. “He gets something out of me that’s never been accessible before,” Mendes toldThe Timesofacting with Goslingin that same October interview. She also hinted in that piece that she would most likely return to the screen in order to work with theDrivestar.“That’s the one thing I would love to do,” she said.

Happy birthday, Ken — wait, no —Ryan Gosling!

Three-timeAcademy Awardnominee Gosling marks his 44th birthday on Tuesday, Nov. 12, capping off a year in which hesang “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Oscarsin March and costarred withEmily BluntinThe Fall Guy.

Gosling, who sharesdaughters Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, 8, with his longtime partnerEva Mendes, tends to stay out of the spotlight when he is not pulling offimpressive stuntsordancinghis way through movies likeBarbieandLa La Land. Here are some insights into how Gosling and Mendes, 50, support each other more than 12 years after the couple first costarred in 2012’sThePlace Beyond the Pines.

First and foremost, Gosling maintains an exalted status as Mendes' biggest cheerleader; when the actor spoke withExtrain May about Mendes being featured in PEOPLE’s 2024Beautiful Issue, he said, “It should just be her in the issue, basically, but I understand they have to have other people in there.”

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling on Aug. 4, 2024.LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty

In that interview, Gosling also noted that Mendes' decision to step away from acting after 2014’sLost River— which Gosling wrote and directed — helps the couple balance their work commitments with parenting responsibilities. “She is with the girls, and when she works, I stay home with the girls too,” he toldExtraat the time. “I couldn’t be here without her.”

In Mendes' interview for PEOPLE’s Beautiful Issue in May, she gave rare insight into the couple’s home life when she said Gosling cooks and she cleans. “I’m not going to tell you that but in all the ways I need to be supported,” she said, when asked how Gosling supports her. “He’s got me in all the ways.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Mendes complimented how Gosling boosts her sensuality and self-confidence while speaking with UK newspaperThe Timeson Oct. 17. “I feel really f—— sexy at times,” she said at the time. “The way my man looks at me is just … at times I’m like, oh my God. That might not sit well with people, but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he’s giving me.”

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling on Sept. 7, 2012.Getty

Getty

“There’s so many things that can make me feel sexy and I’d say that I feel more sexy than not,” she added in that interview. “I guess because I’ve never considered myself beautiful, but I’ve always felt very sexy.”

Additionally, both Gosling and Mendes have noted that she puts in work as Gosling’s acting coach for his onscreen roles in recent months. “He gets something out of me that’s never been accessible before,” Mendes toldThe Timesofacting with Goslingin that same October interview. She also hinted in that piece that she would most likely return to the screen in order to work with theDrivestar.

“That’s the one thing I would love to do,” she said.

source: people.com