Eva de la Caridad Mndez (; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is an American retired actress, model and businesswoman. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with a series of roles in films such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998) and Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000).Mendes's performance in Training Day (2001) marked a turning point in her career and led to ...