Ryan Gosling Gives Rare Glimpse Into How He and Eva Mendes Parented Through Quarantine

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes rarely share a look at their lives outside of a movie set, but Gosling offered a brief idea of what they did during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In a new interview with GQ about his brand partnership with watchmaker Tag Heuer, Gosling joked that he and Mendes did "more acting in quarantine" than in their entire careers to keep their children entertained. Gosling and Mendes have been in a relationship since 2011 and are parents to daughters Esmeralda Arnada, 7, and Amanda Lee, 5.

"Our kids are young, so it was a tough time for them to be separated from other kids and not being able to see family and whatnot. So, we did our best to entertain them. I think Eva and I did more acting in quarantine than we have in our whole careers," Gosling said when asked about what he did during the quarantine. He joked that the couple "spent a lot of our time" performing dramatic bedtime stories for their daughters, but they did not develop bread-making skills.

The partnership with Tag Heuer is the first time Gosling, 40, has teamed up with a brand. He's been a fan of the company for a long time, which made it easy to agree to the deal. His daughters were also an influence on the decision. Mendes, 47, also gave him a watch on his first Father's Day. "On that technical level, they've been innovating and leaders for over 160 years," Gosling said of Tag Heuer. "So that made it easier, too. And then on a personal level, I think about time more than I used to. I have two kids and they're growing up fast. So I keep my eye on the clock more than I used to."

Gosling and Mendes have never shared photos of their children, and Gosling does not even have an Instagram page. Before Mendes deleted all of her Instagram posts, she told fans she would never share photos of her daughters until they are old enough to give their consent. "I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids. I'll talk about them of course, with limits, but I won't post pictures of our daily life," Mendes wrote at the time, reports PEOPLE. "Since my children are still so little and don't understand what posting their image really means, I don't have their consent. And I won't post their image until they're old enough to give me consent."

Last year, Mendes told PEOPLE their daughters were already "their own women," adding that it is "so beautiful to watch" them grow up. "My 5-year-old cut her socks, the foot part off, and she likes to wear socks as sleeves," Mendes said of Esmeralda at the time. "And the other day she wore underwear as a hat and I was like, 'That's amazing.' I wish I could do that. I can't."