Eva Mendes leaves fans baffled during comeback appearance: ‘Who is that?’

Ryan Gosling’s wife quit acting a decade ago, and now fans have claimed to barely recognise the star.

Eva Mendes has left some fans baffled with her appearance on The Today Show. Picture from TikTok.

Ryan Gosling’s wife, Eva Mendes, made a rare television appearance on Tuesday, and her appearance has left some fans baffled.

In recent years, Mendes has been spending a lot of time at home with their two kids while Gosling has focused on his acting career.

Today show viewers claimed to not recognise the former actress. Picture from TikTok.

After years out of the spotlight, Mendes appeared on the Today show to talk about her career outside of acting, motherhood and her new sponge business.

However, it was the star’s appearance that caught the attention of fans, with hundreds on social media claiming to barely recognise her.

@todayshow#EvaMendes paused her acting career so she could be more present for her children with fellow actor #RyanGosling. Citing the travel and time commitments of the profession, Mendes says the decision was a "no brainer." However, work life hasn't stopped for her, as the co-owner of @Skura Style , a cleaning product brand. #SpringCleaning#TODAYShow#3rdHourTODAY♬ original sound - TODAY Show

“Hold the phone, I didn’t even know who this was,” commented one fan, while another said: “No!!!! Why does Eva look like Raquel Welch”.

Others echoed the sentiment, saying: “Is Eva Mendes in the building with us right now?” and another adding: “Ran to the comments, glad it’s not just me! What did she do?"

However, despite the onslaught of remarks from confused fans, others were quick to compliment Mendes.

“I love her, hope I look this good at 50,” said one, while another added: “I love her, she looks like Raquel Welch now!”

Eva Mendes has left some fans baffled with her appearance on The Today Show. Picture from TikTok.

Mendes pictured back in 2010 before she quit acting. Picture from AP Photo/Dan Steinberg.

During the interview, the actress opened up about initially meeting the Oscar-nominated actor while filming their 2012 movie The Place Beyond the Pines.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Mendes recalled. “The way he works, his commitment to his craft, how he wants to make everything as best as it can be — and that means making his co-stars as best as they can be.”

She added, “Unfortunately — or fortunately — there’s only one Ryan, so I pretty much stopped acting after that.”

Mendes also revealed that her choice to step back from her acting career to focus on raising their two daughters, Esmeralda Amada, 9, and Amada Lee, 7, was not a difficult decision.

“It was like a no-brainer. I’m so lucky, and I was like, if I could have this time with my children — and I still work, I just didn’t act, because acting takes you on location,” she said. “It takes you away. It was almost just like a non-verbal agreement that it was like, ‘Okay, he’s [Gosling] going to work and I’m going to work. I’m just going to work here.’”