Eva Mendes has admitted she does not miss acting, saying that she got tired of having to fight for roles while being typecast as a Latina woman.
The actor, who flourished throughout the early 2000s before quitting the industry, opened up about her career during an interview with Variety.
“I don’t really miss it,” Mendes told the outlet. “I got tired fighting for the good roles. There just was a point where I thought, ‘I’m going to create my own opportunities and become a producer on things and create my own material,’ but it just didn’t feel worth it to me.”
Shortly after walking away from acting, Mendes and partner Ryan Gosling decided to start a family. They share daughters Esmeralda, 7, and Amanda, 6.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is what I’m supposed to do right now,’” she said.
Looking back at the height of her acting career, Mendes added that things have changed dramatically over the years.
“There are more opportunities for Latina actresses now, but when I bowed out 10 years ago I wasn’t being offered things that weren’t specifically Latina,” she said. “It is exciting that things are different now, so who knows what I will do in the future. But right now, I’m keeping it in the home with my kids.”
Mendes has spoken before about her decision to quit showbiz. In an interview with "The View" earlier this year, she said she would return to acting, but under strict conditions.
"I have such a short list of what I will do. Before kids, I kind of was up for anything," Mendes said. "I mean, you know, if it was a fun project. But now I won't do… I don't want to do violence. I don't want to do sexuality."
In 2020 Mendes addressed the topic in response to an Instagram follower who asked when fans would see her in a new movie again.
"As a mother now, there are many roles I won't do,” she said, according to Us Weekly. “There are many subject matters that I don't want to be involved with, so it limits my choices and I'm fine with that. I have to set an example for my girls now. But no worry, I got some side hustles. Ha! Thanks for asking. All the best for 2020."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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