She is the youngest of four children. Mendes was raised Roman Catholic and aspired to be a nun. Mendes caught the eye of an agent who convinced her to pursue acting more steadily.
Her first film appearance was in the direct-to-video Children of the Corn V Fields of Terror. Mendes received her first big screen break when she appeared in Training Day.
Along with acting Mendes is employed by Revlon Cosmetics as an international spokeswoman. She is also a supporter and active participant in Revlon's campaign to raise funds for breast cancer research.
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