Why Eva Mendes hasn't appeared in a movie since 2014

Eva Mendes has very strict standards for acting projects these days, which is why she hasn't appeared on the big screen in eight years. The difference, since she starred in flicks such as The Other Guys, Hitch and 2 Fast 2 Furious, is the presence of the two daughters she shares with Ryan Gosling: Esmeralda, 7, and 6-year-old Amada.

"I have such a short list of what I will do [now]," Mendes said Tuesday on The View, explaining that she was much more open about the roles she would take before becoming a mom. "I mean, if it was a fun project [I'd do it]. But now I won't do violence, I don't want to do sexuality, the list is short."

Still, Mendes said she would return for something that met her requirements.

Her last roles were a voiceover on the animated children's show Bluey in 2021 and, before that, the 2014 R-rated drama Lost River, which was written and directed by Gosling. It was released in the United States in April 2015, when their eldest was just a few months old.

Meanwhile, her partner has appeared in The Nice Guys, La La Land, Blade Runner 2049 and First Man. The two-time Oscar nominee also has several films in development, including the high-profile Barbie film, in which he'll play Ken to Margot Robbie's version of the iconic doll.

Although Mendes has pulled back from acting, she has continued to work on other projects, such as her clothing line at New York & Company.

Mendes, who is usually private about her personal life revealed during her May 6 appearance on Today that her own mother, Eva Perez Suarez, is her inspiration for dedicating these years to her girls.

"My mom was able to be there for me at home until I was about 8 or 9," Mendes said, "and those memories for me, that just formed who I was, those years with her."

Mendes said she felt lucky to be able to take a break.