It's said that 'behind every great man there's a great woman'.
Well, now we can add 'behind every great man and film is a great woman'. That woman being Eva Mendes, to be exact.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Gosling revealed the unsung hero of La La Land is actually his partner and mother of his two daughters.
La La Land – which won a record seven Golden Globes and is nominated for a staggering 12 Academy Awards – sees aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and diehard jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) pursue their dreams in Los Angeles – the home of vanity, fame, glamour and success.
According to Gosling, it was Mendes – otherwise known as his 'lady' – who came up with one of the film's most memorable lines that described Hollywood's double-edged sword.
He told the publication: 'LA worships everything and values nothing.' That was something my lady said to me one day and I thought it was so funny I asked her if I could put it in the movie.
'She was kidding, but it's a funny thing to say… I loved when she said it, because it's funny enough to have some truth to it, you know?
'But it's obviously a joke, so it just seemed appropriate for the movie,' he added.
While it's currently unknown whether Mendes will join Gosling for the Academy Awards later this month, it's thought he will thank her in his acceptance speech once again.
Despite their private relationship, Gosling made a rare mention of his partner during his Golden Globe Award acceptance speech last month, thanking the actress for her support while he filmed La La Land.
He said: 'While I was singing and dancing and having one of the best experiences I have ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer.
'If she hadn't have taken all of that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me,' he added.
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
