The glitzy world of Hollywood is hardly a warm place. Acting is a very demanding job and getting a scene right is rarely a comfortable experience. So was the case with Eva Mendes, who was in a nervous fit while filming a scene.
Known for her courage in doing bold scenes, the actress was far from her usual confident self during this one scene. Not that anyone can blame her. Working opposite Ryan Gosling would give anyone jitters. The Canadian star tends to have that effect on people.
However, there might be more to this story than it appears.
Eva Mendes Was Terrified of Filming A Scene With Ryan Gosling
While working in the 2012 epic-crime-drama, The Place Beyond The Pines, Eva Mendes had some difficulty getting into the role. She was especially uncomfortable filming the very first scene. Cast opposite her then-friend and future-husband, Ryan Gosling, who plays Luke; Mendes plays Luke’s ex-girlfriend Romina.
The storyline involves Luke and Romina having an intimate relationship and this is the first scene director Derek Cianfrance chose to shoot for the movie. The first day of a new film, new people, and Gosling for a lover can get overwhelming for several reasons.
Mendes’s steamy performances in films are not unknown. But she was apparently “terrified” before filming the explicit scene. As director Cianfrance said in an interview (via Production Notes/Cinema Review):
“The first scene we shot with Eva was the sex scene in the trailer with Ryan. I know she was terrified to do it because she was trembling.”
However, like the professional she is, Mendes quickly pulled herself together and delivered her best performance. Commenting on how quickly she got over herself in filming that scene, Cianfrance said:
“She is brave; she embraced her fear and confronted it and bared her soul. The small crew that day was left speechless and inspired by her bravery — which continued every day with her.”
And truly, Mendes’s performance in that scene and the whole film was nothing short of phenomenal. And going on that set, little did she know she would find her future spouse.
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Fell In Love On The Sets of The Place Beyond The Pines
Gosling and Mendes were friends before filming the movie, but working together on this film is when they fell in love. The Barbie star had had quite a few famous girlfriends before he found the one for him in Mendes.
The duo reportedly kicked off their relationship during the filming of the movie. In September 2011, they were pictured holding hands while on a date at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim. At the time, 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.”
Only Gosling and Mendes can confirm whether it was truly friendship or more than that because the eyewitness who saw them walking together in Disneyland hinted at something entirely different from friendship.
Much is not known about the couple’s love story as they are fiercely private. However, upon learning what came to be of this pairing on that film set, the nervousness and apprehension on Mendes’s side start to look a little different.
The Place Beyond The Pines is available for streaming on Peacock.
