Eva Mendes, an American actress, model and homeware designer, known for her roles in Once upon a time in Mexico, Ghost Rider and 2 Fast 2 Furious, has her birthday today. 

Mendes was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, and was raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale by her mother after her parents' divorce. 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. She studied acting under Ivana Chubbuck.

Her first film appearance was in the direct-to-video Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror. Mendes was "so ashamed" by her performance in the film that she decided to hire an acting coach so that she wouldn't "squirm" when watching herself in future roles. Mendes' breakthrough role came when she appeared in Training Day as the wife of Denzel Washington's character.

Mendes appeared in Will Smith's video "Miami" and the Pet Shop Boys' music video for "Se a vida e (That's the way life is)" in 1996 and Aerosmith's video "Hole in My Soul" in 1997. In 2007, she was named as an ambassador for Cartier. Mendes was voted as No. 4 in the 2008 edition, and No. 1 in the 2009 edition, of AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women.

Apart from being an actress and model, she is also an entrepreneur. Mendes runs a home decor line, Vida, with her former longterm partner George Augusto. On September 4, 2008, Mendes announced she was launching a line of bed linens available in Macy's stores. In 2010, Mendes launched a line of dinnerware at Macy's stores. In 2011, Mendes visited Sierra Leone to speak with rape victims and raise awareness of the problems in the area.

Fridaymoviez wishes this stunning actress a very Happy Birthday!