Eva Mendes is an American actress, model, singer and homeware designer. Eva Mendes began acting in the late 1990s, and broke into the Hollywood mainstream with an appearance in Training Day. Eva Mendes was born to Cuban parents, and was raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale by her mother after her parents` divorce.

Eva Mendes has said that her mother "suffered so much to make my life OK" during her early years. She was raised a Roman Catholic and aspired to be a nun. She attended Hoover High School in Glendale and later attended California State University, Northridge to study marketing, but dropped out after wanting to begin an acting career.

Eva Mendes studied acting under Ivana Chubbuck. Before she got her big break, she sold ‘Hot Dog on a Stick’ at Glendale Galleria Mall in California. Growing up, her role model was Cindy Crawford.