Eva Mendes Reveals Her Favorite Ryan Gosling SNL Sketches, Talks Children's Book (Extended)

-So great to see you. Come on, bud. -So nice to see you.

-Welcome. -And I thank you. That's very sweet of you to have it all propped up.

-Yeah, that just happened to be like that. I didn't. But look at this in Spanish as well.

-In español. -In español. [ Conversing in Spanish ] [ Laughter ] Last time you were in the building -- We always love when you're here.

But the last time you were here was, I think, when Ryan Gosling was hosting "Saturday Night Live. " -Yes. -He did a great job.

-Come on. -Please tell him that. He was unbelievable.

-Yes. I mean, I was like, yeah, right? I mean, come on.

Um. . .

[ Cheers and applause ] Thank you. Um, it was crazy. I was so excited.

I was backstage and I was just so -- I felt like, I don't know, I was just like. . .

-They're amazing up there. -It's incredible. I just was -- -What was your favorite sketches?

-Well, there was actually two. Well, the Cuban, the Cuban papi. -Yes, yes.

The accent was good. Beavis and Butthead. -That was amazing.

-It was so funny. But with Cuban papi, the thing that was so funny is my dad actually doesn't speak English and this is like, oh, he speaks a little. No, no, no, he doesn't speak English.

And he's lived -- He's been in the country for, you know, 50-something years. Anyway, so when Ryan and he hang out, they, you know -- it's very much like, "Ah! My baby!

Ah! Yeah! " [ Laughter ] "Hey!

That's a -- That's-a my baby. Bootiful. Bootiful.

" And that's it. And so really for real -- -So he got to use that. -So after -- Yeah.

After, what, 12 years, it finally paid off. -It paid off for him. Yeah.

He did a great job. -He did. -Tell him I said hi.

Thank you. [ Cheers and applause ] -You have two daughters now, right? -I do, and you too.

-Look at us. We're parents. -Oy.

-I know, it's so fun. Yeah. -It's for real.

-Do they know what Mom does? Have they seen any of your movies? -No.

They haven't. But they -- they don't really -- They don't care I think is. .

. -No. What do you mean?

-They don't care. It's like I tried to show them. This was about a year ago.

I tried to show them a scene from "Hitch" that I was actually proud of because I'm scared of, like, deep, dark water. -Yeah. -And, like, I had to do this, like, physical comedy stunt thing in the Hudson.

Anyway, I was so scared. So I faced a fear that day, and I did this stunt, and I was proud of it. Anyway, so one of the -- one time one of my girls was scared, and I'm like, "Ooh, opportunity to, like, show off what I, you know.

" And I played it for them and I was like, "This is Mama facing her fear" and like, you know. And anyway, they were not impressed at all. -They were not interested?

-They were just like, "Oh, cool, Mama. Okay, can we go outside? " You know.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. -You know that, like -- -They just think it's like a home movie or something.

Yeah. How about like -- How about Ryan as Ken though, in "Barbie"? Did they see that?

-Well, yeah, that's -- [ Audience cheers ] I know, I know. Well, Ry-- Yeah. That was beautiful because the girls were such a huge part of that.

They were such a huge part of him saying yes and taking the role because, you know. -Yeah, that's how he is. -There's like 30 Barbies sitting in the house and there's one Ken.

So, you know, he was like, "There's something here. " That's how it goes. -Yeah.

Of course it's how it goes, yeah. -Yeah. -But you did something that was very impressive.

Must have been to your kids. You were a voice on "Bluey"! -Now, that impressed them.

-That's what I'm talking about! That's my favorite show. -That impressed them.

-That's my favorite show. -It's our favorite show too. Why only six minutes?

-I know! That's what makes it -- -Why? -Because it makes you want more.

-I know, you want more. -They never asked me to do a voice on "Bluey. " -Yeah, no.

You really -- I kind of like -- No, I asked for it. -You asked for me? -Not for you.

Why would I ask for you? [ Laughter ] -You asked for you. -Be your agent?

[ Laughter ] -I don't know. -I'm working out there for you. -It's the best show.

I love "Bluey" so much. -No, it's so deep, right? -I watch it without the kids sometimes.

[ Laughter ] -Aww! -I really do. I go, I just want to get a good cry in there.

It's fantastic. -Did you see that super long one, the last one where they moved? -For sale?

Don't! -Yes! -Don't look at me!

Don't look at me. I'm gonna start crying. -No, it's for real.

-Congratulations on your new book, by the way. -Thank you. -This is fantastic.

Here. -Thanks. -Are you excited about writing a children's book and what this is going to do?

It's so fun. It's your first one. -It's my first one.

And congratulations to you and all your success. -Oh, my gosh. -With all your books.

-It's the best feeling to have a kid read these books or have parents read them to these kids. It's going to blow your mind. You have no idea what's about to come.

You'll get videos, you'll get videos sent to you, and it's just the best, most rewarding, coolest thing in the world. You go, wow, you're actually inspiring kids to read too. -Right.

And inspiring, hopefully parents to connect through reading because I love that connection. -I think this whole idea is brilliant, too. Where'd you come up with this, where your brain is its own character?

-So, yeah, it's basically -- Yeah, it's basically a buddy story between this little girl, Desi, and her brain. So it's like a -- it's about really not believing everything you think, um, and that's been really big in our household lately, for the last few years. Because our girls, you know.

. . -They're growing up.

You get worried. -They have so many -- They have anxiety, as I do. I think -- I thought anxiety was normal because I grew up in a very Cuban, aggressive, loud, lovingly aggressive, loud household.

-No, no, no, we know, we know what you meant. -You know what I mean? -Yeah.

-But everything was yelling! It was just like, you know, everything. So that does something to your nervous system, I guess.

Anyway, so I'm just super anxious and I think my children are inheriting that, which is like, "Oh! " -No! You're like, "Hey, don't worry, it's going to be okay.

" -But maybe it's not, Jimmy. -No! No, don't do -- [ Laughter ] No, no, that's not the ending.

-How do you know? -That's not the ending at all. That's not the ending.

It's a very happy ending. -If I don't worry about it, it won't be okay. -That's not in the book.

This is a very happy, positive. . .

Yeah. -Anyway, but it's about you know -- -They can talk about it. -You know, I started talking to my kids when they were -- when they were younger and telling them, "Okay, look, your brain is trying to be a bully to you right now by sending you all these scary thoughts, right?

" -Yeah. -"Your heart has a job. It beats, you know, your lungs expand.

" I don't know, whatever. [ Laughter ] They they take care of oxygen somehow. Yeah.

Yeah. Anyway. -Yeah.

-And I was like, "Your brain has so many jobs. And one of it is to send you thoughts, right? Or create thoughts.

and if you don't feed it with positive ones, it'll take you down a spiral that I've been down many times. " -Now, do they like the book? Have they seen it?

Have they edited? Are they being. .

. -Yes, they had many notes. Oh, the whole time they had notes.

They had a lot, a lot of notes as I was writing it. So I was worried that it really wasn't going to hit home. And when I read the final thing, um, it didn't land that -- I mean, they were just like, "Cool, Mama" again.

-"Let's go outside. " Yeah. -Yeah.

-You go, "Hey, come on. " -Another "Hitch" kind of, you know? Right?

I'm, like, dying to impress them. Yeah. But then like two weeks ago -- okay, serious, not a talk-show story -- Two weeks ago, I see my older one who just turned 10, which is heartbreaking.

Oh, my God, double digits. But anyway, she was sitting in the hallway reading my book, and I was literally like. .

. [ Sobs ] And I wanted to, like, secretly film her. I don't know about secretly filming.

How do you guys feel about -- Do you secretly film your kids? [ Audience shouts "yes" ] You do? -Why not?

They don't know. -I know, but then you break the trust if they see. You know what I mean?

If she sees me in the corner. -Save it for another book! Save it for another book.

-Okay. Anyway, I didn't film it, but I filmed it with my heart, Jimmy. -No, I know you did.

But you dedicated this to your daughters, but also your mom who believed in you. -Yeah. My mom thought everything I did was like a a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, you know?

She was just like [Gasps] "Beautiful. " She'd put it up on that thing. Yeah, it was really sweet.

-But then you also dedicate it to Ryan Gosling, to R. G. -To my man.

-S. L. [ Cheers and applause ] It says "S.

L. foreva. " What -- Can we find out what "S.

L. foreva" means? -No.

[ Laughter ] -Does he know what it means? -Yeah, Jimmy, he knows what it means. [ Laughter ] -Alright.

We'll try to guess. Congratulations on the book. I thought we could play a fun game when we come back.

Is that okay? Yes, we'll do it. Eva Mendes, everybody.

"Desi, Mami, and the Never-Ending Worries" is available now in English and in Spanish. We'll be right back, everybody! Congratulations.