Eva Mendes was born March 5, 1974 and is an American actress. She began acting in the late 1990s, and became known after a series of roles in several major Hollywood films, including 2 Fast 2 Furious and Hitch Eva Mendes worked her way up through commercials to music videos (including an appearance in Will Smith's video "Miami" and a Pet Shop Boys music video in 1996) to guest roles in television soap operas and supporting film roles. She received her first big-screen break when she appeared in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Training Day. That performance led to roles in Stuck on You, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and as the female lead in the comedy Hitch opposite Will Smith. Eva Mendes' role in Once Upon a Time in Mexico also gave her a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards. She has been in two major movie projects, the more recent, Ghost Rider, in which she costars along with Nicolas Cage Eva Mendes has been in a long-term relationship with filmmaker George Gargurevich. She lives in the Hollywood Hills. When not on the set she loves music, hiking, biking, skiing, mountain climbing and interior design