Eva Mendes reveals she asks herself, “Who am I?” as her daughters grow older

When Eva Mendes became a mother, she experienced many different emotions – including questioning who she was.

Appears on The Drew Barrymore Show On Thursday, September 19, the 50-year-old actress and author spoke to Drew Barrymore about her feelings since becoming mothers. Mendes is mother to daughters Esmeralda Amada, 10, and Amada Lee, 8, whom she has with partner Ryan Gosling, while Barrymore is mother to daughters Olive, 11, and Frankie, 10, whom she has with ex-husband Will Kopelman.

“I felt a little lost when I had kids. I thought, I don't really know how to do this job and be other people at the same time. What was that like for you, may I ask?” Barrymore asks Mendes.

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“Yeah, I felt, actually I didn't feel lost. I felt very clear, but then I felt lost, if that makes sense,” Mendes says. “Then it was like the cliche of 'Okay, who am I now that the kids can survive on their own?'”

“I mean, they're only 8 and 10, but you know what I mean? They don't need me every second, it's a little different. But I like talking to my girls about everything, so I feel very fulfilled,” Mendes adds.

In early August, Mendes revealed on Instagram that she can't leave the house without stuffed animals. As a mother to her two daughters, Mendes said, “That's all they want!”

The mother of two posted two pictures of herself wearing oversized purple sunglasses and carrying a large shopping bag, writing: “Mommy life. I'm officially in the square era. I can't leave the house without at least two of these in my big mommy bag.”

Her carousel also included a short clip of her emptying her “mommy bag” to show off her essentials, including baby wipes, crayons, a coloring book, and of course, several stuffed animals.

“Are there others like me?” she asked in her caption. “When will this phase end? They're everywhere! That's all they want! 🧸!”