In the 2000s, Eva Mendes was wildly considered one of the hottest up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood. Drop-dead gorgeous, with terrific acting talent to match, she started small, with a role in the Steven Seagal flick, Exit Wounds, that was looped by another actress. But, her part opposite Denzel Washington in Training Day drew a lot of attention, and soon she was everywhere. She entered the Fast & Furious franchise playing an undercover DEA agent in 2 Fast 2 Furious, a role she reprised at the end of Fast 5, becoming a fan favorite of the series many are hoping she returns to. The movie that made her a star, arguably, was her role opposite Will Smith in the romantic comedy Hitch, which was a box office smash.
Meanwhile, her performances in James Gray’s We Own the Night and Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans drew raves. At the same time, she also stole the show in a comedic performance opposite Will Ferrell in the Adam McKay movie, The Other Guys. In 2012, she starred opposite Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines, and the two eventually got married and started a family. Mendes’ last role, to date, was in a movie Gosling directed called Lost River. Mendes, who’s recently begun reappearing on talk shows, said that she opted to focus on her family, with her career taking a backseat. However, she seems open to making another movie if the right project comes along. Mendes’ choice to stop making movies was her own, and in this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, we examine her career and potential return to the big screen.
This episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity is written (with Brad Hamerly), narrated, edited and produced by Taylor James Johnson. Watch previous episodes below and tell us your favorite Eva Mendes movie in the comments!