Ryan Gosling Says He Doesn't Take On "Dark" Acting Roles For The Sake Of His Family

The interview revealed what many of us have already noticed, which is that Gosling, 43, is a dedicated family man who carefully considers the impact of his work on his personal life.

He and his long-time partner, Eva Mendes, often prioritize their two daughters, Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee, in their decision-making, further evidenced by Mendes recently sharing that she stepped away from acting to be a more fully present mother.

Similarly, Gosling shared that he avoids roles that would plunge him into a dark emotional space, preferring projects that allow him to remain present and engaged with his family. This deliberate choice reflects his commitment to nurturing a positive environment for his loved ones.

“I don’t really take roles that are going to put me in some kind of dark place,” he said. “This moment is what I feel like trying to read the room at home and feel like what is going to be best for all of us. The decisions I make, I make them with Eva, and we make them with our family in mind first.”

Even before becoming a parent, Gosling’s perspective on his career had begun to shift. He highlighted La La Land as a turning point, where he saw the potential for his work to resonate with his children. The film's musical elements aligned with his daughters' interests, inspiring him to choose roles that could connect with them on a deeper level.

Parenthood has clearly deepened Gosling's awareness of his impact, both as an actor and as a father. He recognizes the importance of being a guiding presence in his children's lives, striving to understand and support their individual personalities.

“I’m trying to just figure out who they are and be there for them in the way that I can,” he said. “They’re such clear and distinct personalities that it’s sort of becoming obvious,” adding, “You just want to be everything they deserve.”

Gosling added that once he had children, he became “way more conscious of everything” that he’s done in life and potentially will do in the future.

“It was just sort of like, ‘Oh, this will be fun for them, too, because even though they’re not coming to set, we’re practicing piano every day or we’re dancing or we’re singing,'” Gosling explained of his more recent roles. “Their interest in Barbie and their disinterest in Ken was an inspiration. I thought they were already making little movies about their Barbies on the iPad when it happened, so the fact that I was going off to work to make one too, we just felt like we were aligned.”

Beyond his family, Gosling also seeks roles that ignite his passion and resonate with a broad audience—such as his latest project, The Fall Guy, which releases this Friday.

“I want to make stuff that’s inclusive, and that’s not for an audience of one,” Gosling explained. “I think for so long I was just trying to pay the bills and work. It’s only recently that I feel like I realized that I have this opportunity to actually make the kind of films that made me love movies.”

Evie deserves to be heard. Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.