Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Digital Cover mother-and-baby

Ryan Gosling reveals adorable nickname his daughters call him: 'It kills me'

The Fall Guy star shares two daughters with longtime partner Eva Mendes

Jenni McKnight
US Lifestyle Editor
3 May 2024
Share this:

Ryan Gosling is a doting dad to two daughters he shares with his longtime partner, Eva Mendes

The Fall Guy star, 43, prefers to keep his family life private, but he shared a sweet insight into his relationship with Esmeralda, nine, and Amada, eight, in a new interview with WSJ. Magazine

Ryan confessed that his daughters have adopted an adorable nickname for him while they learn Spanish, revealing that they affectionately call him Papi with a slight accent. 

"It kills me every time," he told the publication. "There's just nothing, nothing better than that." 

In the same interview, Ryan admitted that becoming a father has steered him away from taking on darker roles because he doesn't want to bring negative energy home to his family. 

"I don’t really take roles that are going to put me in some kind of dark place," he admitted. "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."

Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling at 'The Place Beyond the Pines' film premiere, New York, America - 28 Mar 2013© Dave Allocca/Starpix/REX/Shutterstock
Ryan and Eva met in 2011

He added: "The decisions I make, I make them with Eva, and we make them with our family in mind first." 

Ryan said that it was starring in 2016's La La Land that was a turning point as he discovered his movies could be "fun" for his daughters too. 

"I think La La Land was the first. It was 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," he explained. 

"I think it’s happened when I had kids," he added. "Really, you start to be way more conscious of everything you do and everything you’ve ever done and everything you will do if you get a chance to do it." 

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling at the "The Place Beyond The Pines" premiere© Getty Images
Ryan prefers to stay away from darker roles now he's a dad

Ryan echoed his sentiment in a recent interview with Men's Health, stating: "It always comes back to family first. I don't think I'll regret anything professionally, but I do think when it comes to Eva and the girls, they come first." 

Eva and Ryan began dating in September 2011 after working together on the film The Place Beyond the Pines. Last year, he admitted that he never considered becoming a father until he met Eva. 

"I wasn't thinking about kids before I met her," he told GQ, "But after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn't want to have kids without her. 

"I didn't really want it to be pretend anymore," he added, referring to filming family scenes with her. "I realized that this would be a life I would be really lucky to have." 

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes in The Place Beyond The Pines © Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
Ryan wanted a family with Eva after playing pretend together in a movie

In 2022, Eva dropped a huge hint that they had secretly tied the knot after showing her 'de gosling' tattoo on her wrist. 

In Hispanic culture, married women often add their husband's name to their own using 'de' or 'of', indicating Eva might go by Eva Mendes de Gosling. 

During an appearance on The Kyle and Jackie O show In November 2022, Eva did little to dispel the claims when she was asked if she and Ryan had wed in secret. 

Eva Mendes shows off her tattoo honoring partner Ryan Gosling© Instagram
Eva has Ryan's last name tattooed on her wrist

"But who says we weren't already?" she responded. "I like to keep it all mysterious," she added with a laugh. 

There were claims that the couple married in 2016, although a spokesperson denied the reports at the time.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Parenting

See more