Eva Mendes Says She's 'So Beyond Proud' of Ryan Gosling After His “Barbie” Oscar Nomination
Mendes and Gosling have been in a relationship since they met on the set of the 2012 film 'The Place Beyond the Pines'; they share two children
Eva Mendes is cheering on her favorite Ken.
One day after Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Barbie, his longtime partner Mendes, 49, shared a tribute to him on Instagram by way of posting screenshots of articles that doubted his ability to play Ken when photos of him in the smash hit movie were first released in June 2022.
"So proud of my man. So much hate when he took on this role," Mendes, who has been in a relationship with Gosling since they met on the set of the 2012 movie The Place Beyond the Pines, wrote in a caption to her post. "So many people trying to shame him for doing it."
"Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars," she added in her caption. "So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie 💕"
Related: Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes' Relationship Timeline
Mendes has been cheering Gosling on this awards season; she recently shared a GIF on Instagram of Gosling's humorous reaction to winning best song for "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards following the Jan. 14 ceremony.
"I LOVE HIM!!!!" Mendes wrote in a caption to that post.
Gosling's nomination for playing Ken — one of eight total nominations Barbie received for the 96th Oscars on Tuesday — marks the third time in his career he has been recognized by the Academy, following his roles in 2006's Half Nelson and 2016's La La Land. When the actor himself reacted to his nomination, he took time to express disappointment that neither his costar Margot Robbie nor their director Greta Gerwig were nominated in the Best Actress or Best Director fields.
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"There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film. No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius," Gosling said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. He added that to say he's disappointed Robbie and Gerwig were not nominated in their respective categories "would be an understatement."
Related: Everything to Know About the 2024 Oscars
Gosling and Mendes played a couple with an infant son in The Place Beyond the Pines. In real life, they share two children: Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7. Back in July 2023, Mendes wrote a sweet tribute to Gosling on Instagram ahead of Barbie's release, calling him "the greatest actor I've ever worked with" as she shared still images of the couple from that movie.
The 96th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air live on Sunday, March 10, from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
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