Childhood

Eva Mendes was born in Houston, Texas but raised in Miami and Los Angeles.

Eva is Cuban-American and the youngest of four children.

A big fan of music and outdoor sports like hiking, biking, skiing, and mountain climbing, Eva attended the Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California.

Eva was a marketing major at California State Northridge where she dropped out to pursue acting. She began to study with the respected acting coach Ivana Chubbuck and soon thereafter, Evas’ desire to appear on the big screen, became a reality.

Eva's first acting assigment was in a feature film to earn some money between university semesters.

But the golden opportunity struck when she was discovered because her neighbor, a photographer, had her photo in his portfolio and it caught the eye of an agent.

Career

Eva landed her first acting work appearing in several advertisements and music videos, including Aerosmith's Hole in My Soul (wearing an American flag bikini) and Will Smith's Miami. She also guest starred in an episode of the TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest (in December 1998, as Hanna) and ER (in February 1998, as Donna).

Mendes gave stiff competition to other aspiring actors to grab roles in such high-profile films as Urban Legends: Final Cut and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

In 2003, Mendes' career took off, with 2 Fast 2 Furious, in which she played a customs agent working with Paul Walker to bring down a Miami drug cartel.

Eva's  first serious role came when she was cast as Denzel Washington’s girlfriend in the box office success, “Training Day,” for director Antoine Fuqua. Her portrayal led to the celebrated director, Carl Franklin, hiring Mendes for the MGM feature “Out of Time,” once more starring opposite Denzel Washington.

Eva appeared as Mike Epps' sweetheart Gina in Kevin Bray's action-comedy, All About the Benjamins (2002, starring Ice Cube).

Eva also appeared in an American Express credit card commercial which featured the Sheryl Crow song "Soak Up The Sun" [April 2002].

2004 saw the Cuban-American beauty starring as the ex-girlfriend of Luke Wilson in The Wendell Baker Story.

2005 saw Eva as Will Smith's love attention, reporter Sara, in Andy Tennant's romance-comedy Hitch. Her role as a black man's (Will Smith) Latin partner was greeted with mixed opinions.

Eva is also an international spokesperson for Revlon Cosmetics. Following in the elite footsteps of such beautiful women as Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford and Julianne Moore, Mendes currently appears in Revlon’s print and television advertising campaigns. She is also an active participant and ardent supporter in Revlon’s commitment in the fight against breast cancer.

Eva Mendes was reported to have seduced actor Matt Damon during the making of the comedy Stuck on You (2003).