Eva Mendes Originally Failed Her ‘Place Beyond the Pines’ Audition

Actor Eva Mendes met Ryan Gosling, who convinced her to get married, on the set of Place Beyond the Pines. It was a life-changing opportunity that Mendes managed to win despite failing at this one thing during her audition.

Eva Mendes was recommended by Ryan Gosling for ‘Place Beyond the Pines’

Gosling’s 2013 thriller was directed by filmmaker Derek Cianfrance, who had trouble casting his lead’s love interest in the film. It was Gosling who made the suggestion for Cianfrance to hire Mendes for the role, who was an actor Cianfrance couldn’t believe he overlooked.

“Because I always liked her, I’ve always thought she’d been great,” Cianfrance once told IndieWire.

But Mendes, who’s often seen as gorgeous, also had to dress down considerably for the role, something she had trouble doing because of her looks. Still, Cianfrance wouldn’t rule out Mendes for the part, as he was too impressed by her dedication as an actor.

“So she came to an audition and she showed up with some high-waist, 1990’s jeans and a big, baggy T-shirt and her hair was a mess and she had on no make-up and she was trying her hardest to be unattractive and, of course, she was failing miserably at it, but it meant so much to me that she was making herself vulnerable,” he said. “I told her she didn’t need to read, that I didn’t need her to read anything, and I asked her instead just would you take me for a drive and she took me around the neighborhood where she grew up.”

That was all it took for Mendes to convince him that she was the right choice for his movie.

“I realized what kind of human being she was and not this image. I kind of fell in love with her as a human, and she was definitely scared,” he said. “She had fear about the role, but I don’t relate to a fearless actor. I relate to an actor who is terrified because, I think that’s the meaning of courage, that’s the definition of courage. It’s not fearlessness, it’s fearfulness and confronting it anyway and I felt like we could make some magic together.”

Derek Cianfrance had Eva Mendes work as a waitress to better prepare for the role

Mendes’ Beyond the Pines was one of the actor’s darker movies where she played a working mother who had a difficult time making ends meet. Since her character was a waitress, Cianfrance thought it was important for Mendes to experience a similar lifestyle firsthand. And fortunately, her fame didn’t get in the way of Mendes’ temporary side gig.

“Very few people recognize me in Schenectady,” Mendes said in a separate interview with IndieWire. “I was fine and I was really happy because they were just mad that they didn’t get their eggs on time so you know I got attitude from customers when I deserved it. I got tips when I deserved it. So it was great, but the beautiful part of that was meeting and connecting with the women that worked there that were born and raised in Schenectady and their stories and they were wonderful women.”

When the time to start filming came, Mendes’ newfound serving background came in handy in more ways than one.

“It was also super practical when it came to shoot,” Mendes said. “I knew my way around. I felt great with the space. I knew where to refill the ketchup and the salt. I knew where to put the orders. I had it all. I knew the drill. I knew when I got a break. Derek is so smart, not just because you’re living the character, but that’s rehearsal. Most of the time when you do a film, even when it’s with a great director, you don’t even see the place you work at or the location of the house until that day. So the fact that Derek thinks of this and you’re already connected to the space, it’s amazing. That also helps with the character.”