Eva Mendes loves Abu Dhabi, despite being in the UAE capital for barely one day. Why? "I really love the weather here. It reminds me of Miami," the Hollywood superstar said, laughing.
Mendes, whose hits include Hitch with Will Smith and 2 Fast 2 Furious, and most recently had completed Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans with Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer, doesn't seem to be able to sit still for too long.
"I'm currently working on a film with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, called The Other Guys. We're shooting it in New York and I play Will's wife. I just love Will, he's one of my favourite actors," Mendes says.
Among the projects the pint-sized Cuban-American star has under her belt, is a recent ad campaign for Calvin Klein's body clothing line. “I'm really proud to be featured in those ads. I grew up on CK ads, I remember looking at ads featuring Mark Wahlberg when I was in Junior High. I really like the fact that they are constantly pushing the envelope.”
But when asked such ads may make ordinary women feel, she takes a moment before responding. "I'm sure that women know that I work incredibly hard on the set for the advertisements. Everything is very well-lit, all the models are touched up... Getting that message out there makes me feel better.
"When the public knows that the image is fake, but at the same time there are people who look like that, they can understand that to look like that isn't fun. You have to work out, watch what you eat, and all of that,"she says.
But when all is said and done, Mendes is very comfortable in her own skin. "I'm very proud of the way I look. In Hollywood, the standard of beauty is that very skinny is always encouraged. In their past advertisements, CK used waif-like models. Because I'm not skinny by Hollywood standards, I think that being featured now by CK means that they're sending a message that it's OK.”
Another thing Mendes was very happy about, was getting the chance to work with Calvin Klein's Creative Director, Francisco Costa. "Oh, I've known Francisco for years. I love him. He's Brazilian and Brazilian women are very voluptuous so he has a great eye for dressing a woman with curves,"she says.
If looking as gorgeous as Mendes sounds like a dream come true, brace yourself for her secret beauty tips. “Do you really want to know? It's very boring,"the Hollywood star says concerned.
"I do a lot of working out. I don't drink. I drink a lot of water, sometimes Coke if [I'm] feeling adventurous. I don't eat meat or chicken..."She then sees the expressions on the faces around her. “See! I told you it was very boring!
"I eat a lot of seafood, such as fish... But there is one thing — I have a sweet tooth. I can eat chocolate like no one's business,"she laughs. "There are times when I do indulge, but then I stay on the treadmill for an extra half an hour or so."
Mendes was in town as part of the celebrity line-up at the Middle East International Festival 2009, which concluded on Saturday, October 17. tabloid! couldn't resist asking her some movie-related questions.
"Have I seen Precious? No... but I really wanted to! Hopefully I'll get a chance to watch it soon."
She reveals that she would love to do a Bollywood film, and has considered attending the Mumbai Film Festival, which runs from October 29 – November 5. "I'm trying to see if I could make it there. I love India, its culture and everything. I'd love to do a cameo in a Bollywood movie. I think that they're so much fun, with all their dancing and singing,"she says, giggling.
As for how she manages to squeeze in watching movies during her gruelling schedule, Mendes has the perfect solution. “I love DVDs. I don't like going to the movies anyway, because — I'm not sure if you have that here in Abu Dhabi — but in the States people eat when they watch a movie. I have acute hearing... Don't laugh! I've been tested! And I can hear every little thing that happens in a movie theatre, which drives me nuts,"she says.
Since there are a good few hours between Abu Dhabi and New York, tabloid! wondered what movies she had watched to pass the time. "Well, the selection on the airplane was weird and the movies kept freezing... It was weird. But in the end I watched The Fugitive. Even though it's an old film, it has stood the test of time. I really enjoyed watching it again."
While we were on the subject of movies, how about she shares her favourite movie and why she likes it? tabloid! wasn't quite sure what to expect, but her response raised a few eyebrows. “I adore, absolutely adore, Anchorman. It's one of my favourite movies and it's the kind of film that when you watch it over and over again, you discover lines that you had missed before. And if you're as obnoxious as I am, you then text it to all your friends!
"But I do have others that I like to watch, like The Shining and Network,"she added.
