How Did Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Meet? What They've Said About Their Love Story

Gosling and Mendes' love story first started in 2011 when they costarred in 'The Place Beyond the Pines'

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes found love on set.

The Hollywood power couple's romance developed while they worked together on the 2012 film The Place Beyond the Pines and eventually started a relationship offscreen.

In the years following, they have started a family together, welcoming two children: daughters Esmeralda Amada, 9, and Amada Lee, 7.

Though the Oscar-nominated Barbie actor and Hitch actress are extremely private about their personal lives and have only made a handful of public appearances together, they have revealed a look at the origins of their love story in interviews over the years.

Here’s everything to know about how Gosling and Mendes met.

Related: Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes' Relationship Timeline

When did Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes meet?

By the time the couple first worked together on The Place Beyond the Pines, they were both megastars in their own right, with Gosling starring in 2004’s The Notebook and 2010’s Blue Valentine and Mendes’ having memorable parts in 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious and 2005’s Hitch.

In the 2012 film in which they costarred, Gosling plays a bank robber who tries to provide for his ex-girlfriend (played by Mendes) and their son. Though many assumed they first met on set, Mendes later revealed that they actually met offscreen first.

In an Instagram post shared in April 2023, Mendes reflected on filming the movie by sharing a clip of her and Gosling. “Magic is Real,” she wrote before clarifying, “We did not meet on set.”

“The magic started way before but here’s a little magic captured on camera,” she added. “Gracias to the incredible director Derek Cianfrance.”

When did Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes start dating?

After kicking off filming in the summer of 2011, Gosling and Mendes began to spark dating rumors later that year, after they stepped out for a handful of outings together. In September 2011, they went public with their romance by holding hands during a Disney date.

“They looked relaxed and seemed to be having a fun time together,” an eyewitness told PEOPLE at the time. “Like a dating couple, they always walked very closely, holding hands and their arms touching side-by-side.”

Of their offscreen chemistry, a source told PEOPLE, “Ryan and Eva have spent a lot of time together on set. They have great chemistry and seem to enjoy filming together. They seem to be good friends and always laugh together.”

The couple later made their red carpet debut in September 2012 at the premiere of The Place Beyond The Pines at the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada.

What have Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes said about meeting each other?

Though Gosling and Mendes are notoriously private about their relationship, they have opened up about working together from time to time.

During an interview with GQ in 2023, Gosling said that meeting Mendes and working with her on the film made him want to start a family. “I wasn’t thinking about kids before I met her,” he told the publication. “But after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn’t want to have kids without her.”

He added, “There were moments on The Place Beyond the Pines where we were pretending to be a family, and I didn’t really want it to be pretend anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have ... I’m glad I didn’t have control over my destiny in that way, because it was so much better than I ever had dreamed for myself."

Meanwhile, Mendes has reflected on their time on set with sweet throwbacks on social media. In honor of the film’s 10th anniversary in 2023, she shared a carousel of pictures of them from the film, writing, “"Luke & Romina. Mi socia @scondito just sent me this telling me it's been 10 years since this film came out. Feels like lifetimes ago."

While accepting the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January 2024, Gosling further reflected on working with Mendes, recalling how the film changed his life.

"I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes," he told the crowd. "I have two dream children. I dreamed of one day making movies and now movies have made my life a dream."

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