Gosling Fever Hits London

Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling has quietly traded the bright lights of Los Angeles for the charm of north London, settling into Hampstead with wife Eva Mendes and their two daughters, Esmeralda, 11, and Amada, nine. The 44-year-old star, currently in the UK filming the latest Star Wars project Starfighter, is believed to have chosen the leafy suburb not just for its tranquillity but also for a more balanced family life away from America’s heated political climate.

Residents say Gosling’s arrival hasn’t gone unnoticed. School gates and local cafés have become unexpected hotspots for star sightings. One local told The Mail on Sunday: “Yes, he’s here and so delightful chatting to everyone at the school gate–such a lovely man.” The comment has fuelled chatter among parents and fans who describe the actor as down-to-earth, polite, and effortlessly charming.

Gosling, who first rose to fame in The Notebook before earning global acclaim with La La Land and Barbie, met Mendes on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012. After welcoming their daughters, Mendes, now 51, stepped back from Hollywood, later explaining that focusing on motherhood was a “no-brainer.” The couple married in 2022 and have kept their private life largely out of the spotlight, despite Gosling’s blockbuster success.

Their move is part of a growing trend of A-listers relocating to the UK. Tom Cruise has reportedly been exploring homes in the Cotswolds, while Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are said to have already moved there. Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera has also chosen southwest London as her new base.

For Hampstead locals, though, it’s Gosling who’s stealing the spotlight — turning the school run into something that feels just a little bit Hollywood.