Eva de la Caridad Méndez (, Spanish: [ˈeβa ðe la kaɾiˈðað ˈmendes]; born March 5, 1974), known professionally as Eva Mendes, is an American actress. 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).