Ryan Gosling should keep a close eye on his longtime love, Eva Mendes, after his televised surprise for her 52nd birthday.
“A huuuuge gracias to @jimmyfallon and @nbhs_bruins marching band,” Mendes wrote via Instagram on Saturday, March 7. “What a beautiful memory, and a special thank you to all the educators in the audience. We need you now more than ever.”
She added a special note to Gosling, 45, “Lastly, my man … I’ll get you back for this. ♥️.”
Gosling appeared on the Thursday, March 5, episode of Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where the entire studio audience was comprised of teachers. The broadcast taping also coincided with Mendes’ special day.
“It is Eva’s birthday today. She is here,” Gosling told the crowd. “You have no idea how much she loves teachers. Loves you so much. She has her hall monitor sash still from when she was a kid. She hangs it proudly in the house.”
He added, “If I get her, would you sing ‘Happy birthday’ to her?”
The Project Hail Mary star subsequently had a production assistant escort Mendes from a dressing room to the stage. Once Mendes reunited with Gosling, he revealed that the North Bergen High School Marching Band was also present to perform “Happy Birthday” in front of a banner that read, “Happy Birthday Eva.”
Gosling even joined the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to his better half.
The two actors have been together since 2011, when they met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines. Gosling and Mendes later welcomed daughters Esmeralda and Amada in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
“She is with the girls and when she works, I stay home with the girls too,” Gosling told Extra in April 2024. “I couldn’t be here without her. “[She’s also] become the best acting coach I have ever had. It’s endless how much she helps me.”
Gosling and Mendes have long kept their family life private, which they balance with their thriving careers.
“My priorities changed and I wanted to be with my kids,” the Barbie actor told GQ in February 2024. “It’s going super fast. I hear the clock ticking. I don’t know how much time I’m going to get, and I don’t want to spend it in the wrong place. I know I’m not spending it in the wrong place if I’m with my family.”
Mendes clearly feels the same, often praising her man along the way.
“I feel really f***ing sexy at times. The way my man looks at me is just … at times I’m like, ‘Oh, my God,’” she quipped to The Times of London in October 2024. “That might not sit well with people, but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he’s giving me. There’s so many things that can make me feel sexy and I’d say that I feel more sexy than not. I guess because I’ve never considered myself beautiful, but I’ve always felt very sexy.”
