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THE OTHER GUYS leading lady Eva Mendes is one of the few actresses who has transcended all genres playing different types of characters opposite A-List actors Denzel Washington (Training Day, Out of Time), Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider, The Bad Lieutenant), Johnny Depp (Once Upon A Time in Mexico), Joaquin Phoenix (We Own The Night), and Will Smith (Hitch) but the actress feels the juicy roles have always gone to male actors.

Currently starring with THE OTHER GUYS' Will Farrell, one of her comedy heroes, Eva sat down with CineMovie in Beverly Hills and charmed the room with her bilingual skills and funny take on Hollywood.  The Miami-born Latina admits some of her roles were merely as an "accessory" to the leading men who always have "something to do."  That "something to do" as she describes it refers to the action scenes, funny bits, and other scene-stealing moments dominated by men.  

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The face of Calvin Klein believes she's been given "something to do" as Will Farrell's goofy wife Sheila. Working with Anchorman and THE OTHER GUYS' director Adam McKay and Farrell team was a dream come true for Eva who quotes from Anchorman on a daily basis. So when she dressed up like an old lady for a comedy bit with Will Farrell in the new movie, the actress finally felt she had "something to do." 

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Eva Mendes would like to go beyond funny roles and take on roles typically given to Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet.  However, the THE OTHER GUYS actress is not waiting for Hollywood to come calling but creating her own opportunities.  Miss Mendes plans to direct her first short film next month and is in the development stages of bringing the Maria Callas' turbulent romance with Aristotle Onassis to the big screen with her in the starring role as the Greek opera singer. Gosford Park and Young Victoria screenwriter Julian Fellows is currently working on the script.

Eva Mendes has seen progress in Hollywood for actresses specifically for Latina talent.  According to the Cuban-American star, during one audition ten years ago, she was asked to play the Latina spitfire with an accent which she didn't understand because the role didn't call for that.  Today, Eva sees improvements and credits Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek, and America Ferrera for changing the Hollywood landscape.  The humble actress left her name off that list but she too is seen as a role model in Hollywood.   

The sexy Latina, however, does have to prove herself during film shoots when the people around her are largely men.  CineMovie asked the acting pro how she handles her male co-stars on testosterone filled-sets.  Eva's trick to "handling the men" on set is to be one of the boys, telling dirtier jokes, and pretend not to be shocked (even though she is sometimes) at anything they say. Then, she says, they will leave you alone and treat you like the other guy.  

Although Eva Mendes has been acting in major Hollywood movies for over ten years, she continues to study acting with an acting coach to improve on her craft and takes it further by observing her co-stars on set.  She admits she bombards her co-stars with constant questions about their approach in order to improve her own methods. 

While she's not looking to play a spitfire on screen, this talented actress definitely has a lot of fire and passion in her that will translate into a long career in Hollywood.

Catch Eva Mendes' funny side opposite Mark Wahlberg and Will Farrell in THE OTHER GUYS when it opens in theaters August 6.   

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