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Eva Mendes Reveals Movie She Refuses To Appear In

“Being a mother now, my list of what I will do is very short."

While the past few years have been focused on family and more personal projects, Eva Mendes has said she’s ready to make a comeback to acting.

But she has a set of conditions and won’t just appear in any old Hollywood film.

“I’m finally getting to the point where I’m reading scripts and I’m thinking about what I can do as far as acting is concerned,” the 46-year-old told HuffPost Australia over the phone from Los Angeles.

Eva shares two daughters Esmeralda, six, and Amada, four, with partner Ryan Gosling, and it’s because of her family she now refuses to accept certain projects.

Eva Mendes, the 2020 McHappy Day ambassador, has said she’s ready to make a comeback to acting.
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Eva Mendes, the 2020 McHappy Day ambassador, has said she’s ready to make a comeback to acting.

“Being a mother now, my list of what I will do is very short,” she said. “I don’t want to do anything violent. I don’t want to do anything risqué and I don’t want to do anything too controversial that my kids will be embarrassed of.”

“I feel like I’m such a mum,” she laughed. ”I think the only thing that’s left is Disney which is fine with me.”

The actor said there’s one person who can help tick the boxes as she searches for “that special role that fits right in with where I am right now”.

“Ryan Gosling just has to direct another film and put me in it,” she said.

For the past six years her main focus has been on her daughters, and she admitted “I feel like I’m still in a bit of a survival mode” as she embraces motherhood.

“It’s like ok, I got through another day, now let me clean the house and prep for tomorrow,” she explained. “And I’m kind of in this cycle where I just need to carve out more time for myself and do a little bit more self-care.”

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling attend "The Place Beyond The Pines" premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 7, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.
Sonia Recchia via Getty Images
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling attend "The Place Beyond The Pines" premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 7, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.

She and Ryan have enjoyed raising their daughters just outside of LA “so that the kids are a little bit more private”, and in what has been a rollercoaster year for everyone, she said the family have faced their own challenges.

“We have our moments,” she said. ”Obviously we’re safe and we’re grateful and fortunate we haven’t been directly affected, unlike so many families who have by COVID.

“But you know, we’re parents of a four and a six-year-old so it’s maddening at times and it’s overwhelming at times, but mostly it’s beautiful and the kids are at an age where they just want to play.”

That brought her to then speak about her work as the 2020 McHappy Day ambassador, where funds will support families of sick children staying at the Ronald McDonald House.

“It’s been a challenging year for so many of course, but not as challenging as what these families are going through,” she said.

The cause is particularly close to her heart as she’s seen her cousin Linda go through the process about five years ago.

“When my cousin’s baby was just about a year old, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and she had to relocate from California to New York all alone and during the scariest time for her,” said Eva.

Eva Mendes attends Eva Mendes for New York & Company Fall Holiday 2018 Fashion Show at The Palace Theatre on September 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Donato Sardella via Getty Images
Eva Mendes attends Eva Mendes for New York & Company Fall Holiday 2018 Fashion Show at The Palace Theatre on September 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

“I had asked her, ‘What could I do, can I find you a place, can I get you a delivery food service, what can I do?’ She reassured me, she said, ‘No, I’m really good here at the Ronald McDonald house’.

This is an amazing initiative so when the opportunity came up I wanted to support this as much as possible by getting Aussies to dig deep and know that this year we need them more than ever.”

This year McHappy Day is on November 14 where $2 from every Big Mac sold goes directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Australians can also support the fundraiser by picking up a pair of silly socks or helping hands from their local McDonald’s or donating online.

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