Biography
Eva Mendes was born on March 5, 1974 in Miami, Florida. This Cuban-American looker is a devout Catholic; she grew up wanting to become a nun. She attended Hoover High School in Glendale, California and later attended California State University Northridge. She started to become interested in acting while studying at the said university. She had no previous interest in acting and pursued other interests. She changed her major in marketing and began taking acting lessons full time. “Acting fell into my lap when a neighbor took pictures of me and showed them to an agent. Then I found an acting coach and worked my butt off.” She was discovered while browsing through a neighbor’s garage sale one day when he neighbour took pictures of her. She caught the eye of an agent who persuaded her to pursue acting more steadily.
Mendes appeared in various commercials and music videos (Will Smith’s video “Miami”, Pet Shop Boys’ “That’s the way life is” and Aerosmith’s video “Hole in my Soul”). She also had guest roles in soap operas and supporting roles in some films. She received her first big-screen break in “Training Day” opposite Oscar winner Denzel Washington. She became a star overnight playing Denzel’s mistress in this critically-acclaimed film. Because of this, more movie roles came flooding in namely appearances in “Stuck on You”, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, “Hitch”, “Ghost Rider”, and most recently, “We Own the Night” where she starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall. Her acting career has really taken off.
Eva Mendes has grown to be one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood today. She has an independent style of acting, making her more than just another pretty face in the business. She does not want to be put into a conventional mode or typecast. She has taken on different roles to emphasize this point. Refusing to be stereotyped as just another sexy actress, she studies potential projects thoroughly before taking them on. She is not afraid to be herself, showing her acting prowess in the films she has currently under her belt. She says when asked about her roles, “I think about it a lot, maybe too much sometimes. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself.” It seems to be working for her, since she can be equally at ease in comedies or dramas.
Eva is not a soft girl trying to make her way into the world. She knows where she came from and definitely one tough girl. Her sex appeal is complemented with her acting talent. This stunning beauty with a great body knows how to hold her own and stand up for herself growing up in the tough environment of Miami and Los Angeles. She has complete control over every aspect of her life, making it easy for her to make it in the vicious acting business. Eva Mendes – a natural beauty with a strong attitude and great acting talent. She truly is in a class of her own.
