Eva Mendes Children, Husband (Ryan Gosling), Brother, Age, Height, Ethnicity

Like many other stars, Eva Mendes has weathered the rocky road to stardom and has established herself as a Hollywood A-lister. Although the American-born Cuban actress initially pursued a religious calling, she eventually settled on showbiz. What’s more, she took a big risk by dropping her college degree for Hollywood, and with patience and hard work, that decision certainly paid off. In addition to her acting career, Mendes also has an impressive resume that includes modeling, fashion design, and of course, being a wife and mother. Here are lesser-known facts about Eva’s career and ultra-private personal life.

Eva Mendes’ Bio (Age, Ethnicity)

The Cuban-American actress was born on March 5, 1974 to Juan Carlos and Eva Perez Suarez. Although Eva and her siblings (Carlos and Janet) were born in Miami, Florida, after their parents divorced, they were mostly raised by their mother in Los Angeles. Eva Mendes is of Cuban descent as her parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba. Raised in a typical Cuban household, Mendes is proud of her Latin American heritage and culture.

Being a Roman Catholic, Eva initially nurtured dreams of becoming a nun as a child. However, her ambitions changed when she caught the attention of a Hollywood agent. She attended Hoover High School in Glendale and then California State University in Northridge, where she majored in marketing, but dropped out in 1997 to pursue a career in Hollywood.

Eva has an exhaustive list of films to her credit. From her debut role in 1998 ‘s Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror to her breakthrough role in the 2001 film Day of Training , it’s been a series of eclectic performances. Some of Eva’s notable hits are I’ll Stay With You (2003), 2 Fast 2 Angry (2003), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Hitch (2005), Geisterfahrer (2007), Last Night (2010), The Other Guys (2010) and girls in progress(2012). Mendes has also worked as a model for various well-known brands, including Revlon, Reebok and Calvin Klein.

Brothers

The year 2016 brought a mix of emotions for Mendes and her family. The actress lost her older brother Juan Carlos Mendez in April 2016 and also welcomed their second child, Amada, a month after his death. Carlos was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. After a long battle with the disease, he died at the age of 53, leaving behind two children. Mendes, who obviously loved her brother dearly, helped Carlos battle cancer and described his death as the hardest thing she’s ever gone through in her life. At the 2017 Golden Globes, Eva’s partner Ryan Gosling, who won Best Actor In A Comedy Or Musical, dedicated a tribute to the memory of Mendes’ brother Carlos.

Children of Eva Mendes, husband (Ryan Gosling)

Eva Mendes is married to one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses and sought-after Canadian actors, Ryan Gosling. The notoriously private A-list couple has been quite the Hollywood paradox for trying to keep their long-term romance so under the radar.

Eva and Ryan met while filming the 2012 crime drama The Place Behind the Pines . The couple, who starred as boyfriend and the film’s girlfriend, quickly bonded and decided to take their characters’ relationship off-screen. However, there are reports that Mendez and Gosling were actually friends for years prior to filming, but the project marked the first time they got to work together professionally.

Before meeting Ryan, Mendez had a personal, political belief that marriage was an ancient, misogynist institution and therefore made no plans to marry. But the flashy Canadian actress eventually became the one exception to her rule.

Eva and Ryan, who reportedly secretly married in 2016, have two children together. The family-oriented couple welcomed their eldest daughter, Esmeralda Amada, on September 12, 2014, while their second daughter, Amada Lee, was born on April 29, 2016. The couple deliberately named their two daughters Amada (Spanish for “beloved”) after Eva’s grandmother, a norm for her Latin heritage. The name not only holds a special meaning for Mendez, but also for her family. Their first daughter was named Esmeralda after the character from the novel Victor Hugo. Known for being proud of her Latin American heritage and culture, Mendez and her husband are also raising their children bilingually.

Gosling and Mendes have been together since the beginning of their relationship, becoming one of Hollywood’s most attractive yet secretive couples, rarely engaging in personal affairs. Given both actors’ high employment densities, they’ve tried to balance their time between their red carpet appearances and their family. As an A-list star, hitting the red carpet as often as possible has been a highlight of Mendes’ career, but the actress, who is more grateful for her new life as a wife and mother, loves to stay at home with her family more than anything else.

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are not only committed but also support their two daughters. The actors are arguably Hollywood’s most cryptic couple. They avoid paparazzi and protect their private lives from the media. As expected, Mende’s relationships have made headlines over the years. Before meeting Gosling in 2011, she was romantically linked to filmmaker George Augusto from 2002 to 2011 and Jason Sudeikis in 2011.

Height

Aside from her prolific acting skills, the Miami-born actress is also famous for her natural beauty and striking features. With a slim build, Mendes stands at an average height of 5 feet 6 inches and weighs 56 kg. Her body measurements are bust – 36 inches, waist – 25 inches and hips – 36 inches.