Eva Mendes worked at a fast food joint before Hollywood (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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The star of Hitch wasn’t always the glamorous Hollywood icon we know today. Instead, she hustled through her teenage years at a food joint, earning a paycheck and dreaming of a future in showbiz.
Mendes kicked off her fast-food journey at a pizza and pasta spot called Ciao, where she quickly discovered the art of delegating tasks. “I totally bribed a coworker to take my pizza oven shifts,” she chuckled, showcasing her youthful ingenuity. But when she transitioned to Hot Dog on a Stick, there was no escaping the grind. “They run that operation with an iron fist,” she told the Wall Street Journal. Here, there were no shortcuts—everyone had to rotate through duties, from dipping dogs to manning the cash register.
However, her time at Hot Dog on a Stick came to a humorous end. In a 2022 radio chat on KIIS-FM’s Will & Woody, Mendes revealed, “Oh God, this is bad, too, but I was a Secret Santa, and I gave an inappropriate gift.” The details of the NSFW present remain a mystery, but it was enough to land her a pink slip. Mendes, ever the optimist, shrugged off the mishap, stating, “The good thing about getting fired is, you get to collect unemployment.” Who knew unemployment could have a silver lining?
Mendes isn’t alone in her fast-food follies. Kate Walsh from Grey’s Anatomy and Queen Latifah both faced the chopping block at Burger King, while Madonna’s brief stint at Dunkin’ Donuts ended after just a week. Clearly, the fast-food world has a way of shaping stars’ careers, even through unexpected exits.
After her food court days, Mendes caught her big break when a talent manager discovered her photograph. Eva Mendes kicked off her film career in the direct-to-video horror flick Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror. Though she wasn’t impressed with her own performance, it ignited a passion within her. With the guidance of an acting coach, she sharpened her skills and soon began landing more significant roles.
From there, Mendes made waves with parts in films like A Night at the Roxbury and My Brother the Pig. But it was her standout role in the action thriller Training Day that really propelled her into the spotlight. Sharing the screen with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, Mendes portrayed the mistress of a corrupt cop—a role she called pivotal for her career. “It motivated me to keep going as an actress after I had become bored doing ‘terrible, cheesy horrible films,’” she explained.
The success of Training Day grossed over $104 million, firmly establishing Mendes as a force in Hollywood. Her journey from serving hot dogs to starring alongside A-list actors is a testament to her resilience and talent. So next time you see Eva Mendes lighting up the screen, remember that she once had a food court gig that, despite its comedic mishaps, laid the foundation for her remarkable career.
