Who is Eva Mendes? Everything You Need to Know

Eva Mendes was born on March 5, 1974, in Miami, Florida, USA, to Eva Pérez Suárez and Juan Carlos Méndez. She grew up in Glendale, which is a suburb in Los Angeles. She was raised predominantly by her mother after her parents got divorced.

She was educated at ‘Hoover High School,’ which was located in Glendale, and later studied marketing at ‘California State University, Northridge.’ However, she dropped out of the university in 1997 to pursue acting.

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Career

In 1996, she appeared in a music video titled ‘Se a vida é’ (That's the Way Life Is) for the electronic pop band ‘Pet Shop Boys.’ She was also seen in the Will Smith video ‘Miami.’

In 1998, she made her debut with the film ‘Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror’ in which she played the role of ‘Kir.’ The film was directed by Ethan Wiley.

In 1999, she played the role of ‘Matilda’ in the adventure film ‘My Brother the Pig,’ which was directed by Erik Fleming. The film did not do much to her career.

In 2000, she acted in the film ‘Urban Legends: Final Cut’ in which she played the role of ‘Vanessa Valdeon.’ The film, which was directed by John Ottman, was a moderate success.

In 2001, she played the role of ‘Sara’ in the Academy Award-winning crime drama film ‘Training day,’ which was directed by Antoine Fuqua.

In 2003, she played the role of an undercover U.S. customs service agent named ‘Monica Fuentes’ in the film ‘2 Fast 2 Furious.’ The film, which was directed by John Singleton, was a huge box-office hit. The film received positive reviews and gave her the much-needed recognition.

In 2005, she starred in the romantic comedy film ‘Hitch’ opposite Will Smith. The film was directed by Andy Tennant and was a box office hit. It also received critical acclaim.

In 2007, she played the role of ‘Roxanne Simpson’ in the supernatural film ‘Ghost Rider,’ which was directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson. Even though the film did not receive good reviews, it did well at the box office.

In 2009, she was seen in the crime drama film ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,’ which starred Nicolas Cage. Directed by Werner Herzog, the film was premiered at the 66th ‘Venice International Film Festival.’

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In 2010, she starred in the action comedy film ‘The Other Guys,’ which was directed by Adam McKay. The film received mostly positive reviews and did well at the box office.

In 2012, she played the role of ‘Kay M’ in the film ‘Holy Motors,’ which was directed by Leos Carax. The film was screened at ‘Cannes Film Festival.’ The same year, she appeared in movies like ‘Girl in Progress’ and ‘The Place Beyond the Pines.’

In 2014, she played the role of a cabaret show performer named ‘Cat’ in the movie ‘Lost River.’

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Major Works

In 2005, she starred in the film ‘Hitch,’ which was a success at the box office. The movie earned a whopping $368.1 million. It also received good reviews from ‘The New York Times’ and ‘BBC Movies.’

She starred in the film ‘2 Fast 2 Furious,’ which was immensely successful. The film earned a total of $236.35 million at the box office and became the 16th highest-grossing film worldwide.

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Awards & Achievements

In 2005, she became the recipient of the ‘Capri Global Award.’

In 2005, ‘Maxim’ magazine ranked her 12th on their list of ‘Hot 100 of 2005.’

Personal Life & Legacy

From 2002 to 2010, she was romantically involved with George Augusto.

In the year 2011, she began to date Canadian actor Ryan Thomas Gosling. The couple has two daughters. Their first daughter was born on September 2014 and their second daughter was born on April 2016.

She practices transcendental meditation for her well-being.

She is a pescatarian.

Trivia

This acclaimed American actor went to a rehabilitation center in 2008. She refused to disclose the reason, stating that it may hurt her mother.