Eva Mendes
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Early Life and Education
Eva Mendes was born in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents Juan Carlos Méndez and Eva Pérez Suárez. After her parents divorced, she was raised by her mother in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale. Mendes was brought up in the Roman Catholic faith and, at one time, even considered becoming a Catholic nun. Her mother worked at Mann’s Chinese Theatre and later for an aerospace company, while her father operated a meat distribution business.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 5 Mar, 1974
- Age
- 46 yrs
- Occupations
- Film actor
Stage actor
Television actor
Model
Actor
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- Citizenship
- United States of America
- Birth Place
- Miami
- Education
- California State University, Northridge
- Gender
- Female
- Description
- American actress
- Net Worth 2021
- 20 million
Mendes attended Hoover High School in Glendale and later enrolled at California State University, Northridge, to study marketing. However, she left college to pursue acting and began training under acting coach Ivana Chubbuck.
Film and Television Career
Mendes began her acting career after a talent manager saw her photo in a friend's portfolio. Her first film appearance was in the direct-to-video horror sequel Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror. Dissatisfied with her performance, she hired an acting coach to improve her skills. She soon appeared in supporting roles in films including A Night at the Roxbury, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, My Brother the Pig, The Disciples, Urban Legends: Final Cut, and Exit Wounds.
Her breakthrough role came in 2001 with the crime thriller Training Day. This led to prominent roles in All About the Benjamins, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Once Upon a Time in Mexico—which earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination—Out of Time, and Stuck on You. In 2005, Mendes played the female lead in the romantic comedy Hitch, becoming one of the first Latina actresses to star in a high-grossing romantic comedy. She continued her career with roles in The Wendell Baker Story, Guilty Hearts, Trust the Man, Ghost Rider, We Own the Night, Live!, and Cleaner.
