|
Born
in Houston, Texas but raised in Miami and Los Angeles. A fiercely
independent actress who refuses to be pressed into a conventional
mode or typecast, Eva Mendez was studying
marketing in the late '90s when an agent stumbled across her photo
while perusing Mendez's neighbor's portfolio. Eva Mendes kicked off
her acting career in an Aerosmith video. The 25-year-old resident
of Los Angeles hadn't considered acting as a career until two and
a half years ago, and has never taken an acting class. As the classic
Hollywood story goes, she was discovered because her neighbour, a
photographer, had her photo in his portfolio and it caught the eye
of an agent.
Dropping out of school soon after being randomly discovered by an
agent, Mendez appeared in a few made-for-television productions and
hammed it up with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan in A Night at the
Roxbury before being cast in a prominent role in Urban Legends: Final
Cut. She was thrilled about the opportunity to play a lesbian Latina,
but she is still seeking the role that will challenge her as well
as her viewers. She believes that modern audiences are, "more
sophisticated than we give them credit." In the meantime, she
is challenging and educating a different audience.
Working against typecasting despite her teen horror resumé,
Mendez next took roles in Exit Wounds, Training Day, and All About
the Benjamins (all 2001). In 2003 Eva was cast in 2 Fast 2 Furious,
the follow-up to 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, opposite
Paul Walker.
She is writing a children's book, "Crazy Leggs Beshee." Inspired
by her nieces and nephews, she wants to introduce vocabulary, art,
history and values through a medium kids understand.
Coming up, Eva will play an FBI agent in Once Upon a Time in Mexico
(2003).
Eva Mendes
Personal videos and photos - Click here!
Actress - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s)
Stuck On You (2003) (post-production) .... April
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Special Agent Ajedrez
... aka Desperado II: Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) (USA)
Out of Time (2003/I) .... Detective Alexandra Cole
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) .... Monica Fuentes
All About the Benjamins (2002) .... Gina
Training Day (2001) .... Sara Harris
Exit Wounds (2001) .... Trish
Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) .... Vanessa
... aka Légendes urbaines 2 (2000) (Canada: French title)
... aka Leyendas urbanas: Corte final (2000) (USA: Spanish title)
Disciples, The (1999) (TV) .... Maria Serranco
My Brother the Pig (1999) .... Matilda
Night at the Roxbury, A (1998) .... Bridesmaid
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998) (V) .... Kir
... aka Children of the Corn 5 (1998) (V)
Notable TV Guest Appearances
"Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The" (1999) playing "Herself" 6
June 2003
" V.I.P." (1998) playing "Esmerelda" in episode: "Val
Goes to Town" (episode # 2.8) 13 November 1999
" Mortal Kombat: Conquest" (1998) playing "Hanna" in episode: "Thicker
Than Blood" (episode # 1.11) 11 December 1998
" ER" (1994) playing "Donna" in episode: "Exodus" (episode
# 4.15) 26 February 1998
|