Eva Mendes Talks Nudity and Laughs in W Magazine

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 14th 2010 10:52AM

Incontrovertible fact: Eva Mendes and "sexy" go together. But with her role in Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg's 'The Other Guys,' the 36-year-old actress is looking to add a generous layer of "hilarious" onto her image.

Her first comic role has her playing a "Knicks dancer-turned-doctor married to a dunderhead of a forensics cop (Ferrell) who doesn't realize what a babe his wife is," W magazine writes in their new cover story.

After the jump, Mendes talks nudity (doesn't faze her), comic acting (comes naturally) and her ethnicity (Cuban parents or not, she's an American gal).

On nudity -- something she's embraced in 'We Own the Night,' 'Training Day' and countless photo shoots: "I've never had a problem with nudity, but I don't put it out there without a reason. I'm not an exhibitionist. But, honestly, for my art I'll do anything almost. I'll go there."

Does the sexuality worry her? "I know I walk a fine line between being a respected actor and being what they call a sex symbol. It's a hard one to walk if you want to be known as a real, credible actor. But I've never felt objectified. Nothing you see me do is an accident. I might act like it's an accident, but the opposite is true. I'm incredibly calculated when it comes to my career."

On her ethnicity: "I don't consider myself a Latin American actress. I was born and raised here, and I have Cuban parents, but for me, I am the new American girl. It's not only Drew Barrymore and the blond mid-western girl. This, [pointing to her face] is also what we look like now."

She loved her chance to make 'em laugh in 'The Other Guys': "It's very hard for me to be seen as funny, and the truth is, that's where I'm most comfortable. [This role] was completely liberating. Never have I had so much fun with a character and felt so natural at it. Had I done this movie three years ago, I wouldn't have had the confidence to throw it back at Will, and now, if anything, I was overly confident. I didn't know when to stop!"

The two comments she gets: "'You seem a lot taller on film,' and 'You're funny.' If people hang out with me, they see I'm a ham."

For the full story, visit W or buy the new issue on newsstands.