Eva Mendes.

The youngest of four children, Eva Mendes was born in Houston, Texas on March 5, 1978. Her parents are both Cuban and contributed to an interesting childhood that saw Eva move to Miami and then Los Angeles, when she was still a young girl. Despite the glitz and glamour of the Californian coast, Mendes (or Mendez, as she is sometimes credited) gravitated toward interior design and marketing, not Hollywood.

We have to bump cigars off the top of our "Favorite Cuban Exports" list now that Miss Mendes has appeared on the scene. With style, grace and best of all, tremendous sex appeal, she has become increasingly prominent in recent blockbusters and her stock is only on the rise. We'd go toe to toe with Castro himself in order to win the hand of this new Hollywood heartbreaker. By the start of the new millennium, Mendes appeared in several action-packed and fun films worthy of half-price night at the movies. These include A Night at the Roxbury, Exit Wounds and All About the Benjamins. Of late, her resume has become quite impressive, with a steamy performance as Denzel Washington's woman in Training Day and a turn as Paul Walker's love interest in 2 Fast 2 Furious.


One of the challenges new actors face is how to establish their own niche in Hollywood. The industry is cutthroat and if an actor doesn't find a persona that audiences take to, it is hard to make it in the biz. Therefore, to see Eva Mendes break through onto the scene without so much as a blip in her career is nothing short of impressive. She has found her "persona" and we love it: she's the sexy Latina who can entice as much with her body as she can with her attitude. Thanks to this, Eva Mendes now finds herself among Hollywood's hottest, a moniker she will likely retain if we have anything to say about it. To an untrained eye, her accomplishments may come off as identical to other flavor of the month beauties, but the difference is, Mendes has put in time before striking it big. She has learned from the best and recognizes that a pretty face can only get her so far -- talent eventually must take over.