Ryan Gosling says acting brought him to Eva Mendes in sweet speech: 'Girl of my dreams'

Ryan Gosling is more than just Ken. He's also a loving partner.

The "Barbie" star, 43, made a sweet tribute to his longtime partner and fellow actor, Eva Mendes, while accepting the Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Saturday.

Through acting, Gosling said, "Most importantly, I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes, and have two dream children." The pair met while filming the 2012 movie "The Place Beyond the Pines."

"I dreamed of one day making movies, and now, movies have made my life a dream," he added. "The way I see it, there's no way I've contributed to cinema as much as cinema has contributed to me."

Gosling expressed deep gratitude throughout his speech, slipping in the occasional self-deprecating joke.

"It's hard to imagine being at a point in my career where I'm standing up here tonight. It's hard to feel deserving of all of this, but I remind myself that the proceeds go to a wonderful cause so it doesn't really matter if I deserve it or not." Gosling said at the start. "It's just that it's Kirk Douglas. He's one of the first true icons of cinema ... He is completely and utterly in the class of his own, and I’m just Ken?"

Gosling's earnest performance in the power ballad-turned-anthemic rock song "I'm Just Ken" received a Grammy nomination for best song written for visual media. It was among 11 nominations that the soundtrack for "Barbie" collected for the 2024 Grammys. "I'm Just Ken" was also one of three Golden Globe nominations "Barbie" scored for best original song.

For his role as Ken, Gosling received three Golden Globe nominations and a Screen Actors Guild nomination for best supporting male actor.

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At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Saturday, Gosling credited his mom Donna for working through his foul-mouthed elementary school days, bribing him to do his homework in exchange for movie rentals and homeschooling him, which ultimately led to his love of storytelling.

"That open door wasn't an elevator that went straight to the top, but I was able to help my mom pay the rent. But by playing other people, I was learning who I was in the process," he said.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Gosling calls Eva Mendes the 'girl of my dreams' in sweet speech