Eva Perez Suarez - Eva Mendes' Mother the Star Calls 'Coolest of the Cools'

Eva Perez Suarez is Eva Mendes' mother, and they have a close bond beyond family ties. The two have shared their experiences with overcoming personal struggles and finding strength through each other's support.

Eva Mendes is a famous American actress. She is a model, actress, and businesswoman who made her film debut in the late 1990s.

She made her acting debut in the direct-to-video horror film "Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror," and has starred in several other movies and series.

Since her first movie, Mendes has appeared in other hit movies such as "Training Day," "2 Fast 2 Furious," "Hitch," "The Other Guys," "Ghost Rider," "The Place Beyond the Pines," and more.

Eva Mendes last appeared in a movie in 2014 when she starred in the fantasy thriller, "Lost River," alongside Barbara Steele, Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, and more.

Eva Perez Suarez Has a Big Cuban Family

Suarez has been described as a tough-minded Cuban woman. When her children were much younger, she worked at a gift shop and the box office of Grauman's Chinese.

In an interview, her famous actress daughter revealed that Suarez always looked gorgeous when she dressed for work. Even when she was off-duty, she would have her hair nicely done.

Suarez was married to a meat distributor, and before moving to the United States, she lived in Cuba and had three kids under the age of four at 24.

Suarez had struggled to care for her family, and her famous daughter once stated they were poor, from a lower-middle class. According to the actress, their family dynamic was different. She said they were loud but cared for each other.

Suarez had moved to Miami in the 1970s with her family, and soon after, she discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child, Mendes. The actress revealed that she was not planned for, and the ultrasound showed she was supposed to be a boy.

When her last child was ten, Suarez divorced her husband and had to raise all her children by herself. Despite the divorce, Mendes has good memories of her parents. The actress remembers the times her mother took her to her job.

In December 2022, she also wished her father a happy birthday on Instagram. In the caption of her post, Mendes, in Spanish, wrote:

"Happy birthday, Daddy 💕 thank you for your support, thank you for your love, and also for my mole."

Eva Perez Suarez's Family Was Extra Poor but Had Meat on the Dinner Table

Despite their poor condition, Suarez's family did not lack food, especially meat, because of her then-husband's job. However, they would manage household items such as paper towels by sharing or using rags.

Things were so bad that Suarez did not want her children flushing constantly. In addition, she shared a bed with her youngest daughter until her child turned 17.

When Mendes became a mother of two with her longtime partner Ryan Gosling, she never failed to appreciate the mothers who helped her on her journey to motherhood.

While appreciating her mother and mother-in-law, the actress also shared her respect for the women who are single parents because she came from such a household and knew the struggles.

Eva Perez Suarez Didn't Do Well in 2022

On April 17, 2016, Suarez lost her son, Carlos Mendez, at 53 after a battle with cancer. For Mother's Day in 2022, Mendes revealed that her mother was not doing well.

The actress revealed this news when she went on the show "TODAY with Hoda & Jenna." While speaking with Hoda Kotb, Mendes got teary-eyed as she wished Suarez a happy Mother's Day.

She told Kotb that being able to send wishes to her mother meant a lot to her. The actress did not explain what her mother was going through, but while speaking about Suarez, Mendes said:

"She’s a survivor in every way."

In September 2022, Mendes took to Instagram to show off her mother. In the caption of her post, she wrote:

"Hanging with the coolest of the cools… My hero. Mi Mami Evita 💗."

One month later, she celebrated Suarez's birthday with a video tribute. In the caption of her post, the actress wrote: "Feliz Cumpleaños Mami! No post could ever come close to expressing what I feel for you, so I'll keep it light….I love you! Besitos! Love, Mimi ♥️."