Ryan Gosling Just Gave a Swoon-Worthy Shoutout to "Girl of My Dreams" Eva Mendes

Despite what you may believe, love isn't dead — and Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling's relationship is all the proof you need. The pair are one of the few celebrity couples that make us believe in true love, and at last night's Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Gosling was feeling the romance while accepting the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. 

In his speech, the Barbie actor gave a sweet shoutout to his wife, expressing his gratitude for his job as an actor that enabled him to meet the leading lady in his life. “Most importantly, I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes, and have two dream children," he gushed, adding: “I dreamed one day of making movies, and now, movies have made my life a dream."

Gosling and Mendes first crossed paths on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2011. Their on-screen chemistry as a married couple translated into a real-life romance, and the two began dating shortly after filming. They share two daughters, Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7.

Elsewhere in his speech, Gosling also paid tribute to his mom, Donna, who pushed him to pursue a career in acting and showed him "how to create my own story" at a young age. "That open door wasn't an elevator that went straight to the top, but I was able to help my mom pay the rent," he said. "And by playing other people, I was learning who I was in the process."

Gosling concluded his speech, adding in a Barbie joke. "It's hard to imagine being at a point in my career where I'm standing up here tonight," he said. "It's just that it's Kirk Douglas. He's one of the first true icons of cinema ... he is completely and utterly in the class of his own, and I’m … just Ken?"

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