She had a blossoming career as a movie star before stepping back from the klieg lights of Tinseltown.
This dark-haired beauty rose to fame over 20 years ago as a sexpot opposite A-lister Denzel Washington.
She then worked with Matt Damon and Will Smith, as well as Paul Walker and Meg Ryan.
After falling in love with her Hollywood hunk costar, she settled down when they welcomed two children.
She is now focusing on modeling and other projects, while her husband's star continues to rise with hit movie after hit movie.
On Wednesday evening, she shared a photo from her childhood during Christmas.
Can you guess who this cutie is?
She had a blossoming career as a movie star before stepping back from the klieg lights of Tinseltown. This dark-haired beauty rose to fame over 20 years ago as a sexpot opposite A-lister Denzel Washington. Who is she?
She is Eva Mendes.
The star shot to fame on Training Day as Denzel's sweet mistress.
She was then in Hitch with Smith and Stuck On You with Damon and then in Fast And Furious with Walker.
And she worked with Ryan on the ensemble film The Women.
When she made The Place Beyond The Pines with Ryan Gosling in 2012, it clicked. They never married, but are solid partners as they live together in Los Angeles and raise two daughters.
The 49-year-old actress wasn't seen when Ryan promoted Barbie with costar Margot Robbie because Mendes likes to stay under the radar.
The Florida-born beauty was last seen with Ryan September, when they attended a family celebration at a hotel in Santa Barbara.
The celebration appeared to have been for the couple's eldest daughter, Esmeralda Amada, eight, who was born on September 12, 2014.
The couple also shares youngest daughter Amada Lee, 7.
Upon arrival, the duo were seen unloading items from their Range Rover.
She is Eva Mendes. Seen here in 2018 in Los Angeles
The couple – who have been together since 2011 – brought along a number of Gucci travel bags, two horse-shaped piñatas, sombreros, fedora hats and gift boxes.
During a recent interview with GQ, Ryan discussed parenthood with Mendes, saying it fondly before meeting her: “I was looking for her, you know?” adding that “it all makes sense now.”
He also revealed that he relies on his partner during challenging moments while raising their girls. 'I just lean on Eva. She always knows what is important. She just knows somehow. So if I ever think about it, I just ask her,” he said.
The star shot to fame on Training Day as Denzel's sweet mistress. She was then in Hitch with Smith and Stuck On You with Damon and then in Fast And Furious with Walker. And she worked with Ryan on the ensemble film The Women
When she made The Place Beyond The Pines with Ryan Gosling in 2012, it clicked. They never married, but are solid partners as they live together in Los Angeles and raise two daughters.
The stars of The Place Beyond The Pines will premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival
Gosling admitted that before meeting his partner, “I wasn't thinking about children,” but “after I met Eva, I realized that without her I just didn't want to have children.”
The La La Land star continued, “And there were moments on The Place Beyond The Pines where we pretended we were a family, and I didn't really want it to be that way anymore. I realized that this would be a life I would be truly happy with.”
In July, Gosling made a rare comment about his relationship as he paid tribute to her with a sweet jewelry choice at the Barbie premiere.
He was asked about his partner's constant posts about him on social media about his role as iconic doll Ken.
She was often cast in films and was considered one of the most popular women in Hollywood; seen in 2002 in LA
He told Access to Hollywood at the event: 'It means everything. It means everything.”
Ryan and Eva have been notoriously private about their relationship, despite sharing two daughters together – born in 2014 and 2016 – but he paid a sweet, quiet tribute to the mother of his children at the star-studded event.
The Drive star wore a custom necklace with a custom 'E' pendant in the Barbie font to the gala event.
This came just days after Eva took to Instagram to talk about her husband. The star uploaded throwback images from her and Ryan's 2012 film The Place Beyond The Pines.
She wrote: 'Mi Hombre. Mi Vida… To say he is the best actor I have ever worked with is an understatement.”
Earlier this year, Eva had online contact with someone who expressed a desire to catch a glimpse of the couple on the red carpet of an upcoming awards ceremony.
Her husband's blockbuster will be available for streaming on Max December 15, almost two weeks before the screenplay is released as a book; Gosling seen in a promo image
'But we don't do those things together. Like these photos I posted, I only feel comfortable posting because they are already available.”
The beauty clarified, “By 'not comfortable' I mean exposing our private lives that we value.”
And then she teased, “I'd still like to make another movie with him…”
The star also made sure to preemptively clarify that the duo has made one public appearance together.
“Oh wait, for those who might catch me in a 'lie', we've only been on the red carpet together once during the promotion of (The Place Beyond the Pines).”