Celebrity Mound

Annette Bening and Warren Beatty

Eva Mendes

Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson

After spending several weeks in rehab, Eva Mendes says she’s “taking a break and having a good time” by exercising and being with her family.

“The sun’s out again. It’s my time,” she told PEOPLE on Tuesday at a luncheon co-hosted by Fresh Cosmetics and the new clothing line Rose at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

At the event, Mendes, 34, squeezed into a Rose-designed dress – which she described as “chic” and “a little edgy” – with the help of adhesive tape, joking, “I didn’t want to take too much of a chance” on a wardrobe malfunction.

To maintain her sexy shape, she says, she’s “sticking to my exercise regime,” working out four days a week with trainer Harley Pasternak, doing cardio and light weights.

“I’m actually taking advantage of my time off,” she says. “You know, I had a film that was pushed, so I’m home spending time with my family, going to the gym and actually enjoying taking care of myself …. This year has been great for me because I’ve learned how to relax. The last three years have been amazing but kind of crazy. So I don’t know, I feel grounded. I feel really good.”

“I’m getting a lot of love in the love department, too,” adds Mendes, who is in a longtime relationship with producer George Gargurevich.

Earlier this year, the actress entered Utah’s Cirque Lodge – the same facility where Lindsay Lohan sought treatment – for what her rep called “outside professional support” for “some personal issues.”

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Eva Mendes—the gorgeous star of Training Day, Hitch, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Ghost Rider, and most recently the brilliant We Own the Night featuring Mark Wahlberg and our old friend Joaquin Phoenix—is also the new face of our winter anti-fur campaign. Once you’ve had a long look at this stunning new anti-fur ad, take a deep breath and check out what Eva had to say when she sat down with us for this PETA Files exclusive interview about what led her to speak out about the cruel treatment of animals in the fur industry:

How did you come to get involved with helping animals? Did you have any animal companions growing up?
I love animals, but I hadn’t had a pet since I was a kid. I recently got a dog and he’s not only made me a happier girl—he’s made me much more sympathetic to animal rights. I look at my beautiful dog and think, “Of course I’d never eat him or skin him for his fur, so why would I be okay with eating a cow or wearing a cheetah?” It’s just not right. It’s a contradiction.

Do you have any animals? Can you tell us about them?
I recently got the most beautiful dog in the world! He’s the sweetest thing ever. He’s fully trained and all his commands are in French. Too cute! So I’m learning French and he’s learning Spanish!

What drew you to the idea of working with PETA on our “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” Campaign?
I wasn’t familiar with PETA early in my career. I remember having my first premiere in New York City and being so naive that I didn’t have a coat with me. My stylist sent me a fur wrap for the evening and I ignorantly wore it.
PETA then wrote me a beautiful letter commenting on my less-than-educated choice. I was so impressed that I vowed to them and myself to never wear real fur on the red carpet or in my life again.

As a fashion icon in Hollywood, do you find that people put pressure on you to wear fur on the red carpet? If so, how do you handle that?
A lot of the high-end designers are unfortunately still big on fur, but I simply let them know that I won’t wear it on the red carpet or for photo shoots. People are pretty respectful and don’t try to pressure me to wear fur (smart for them … haha).

Can you tell us about the projects you are working on right now and also about your film We Own The Night?
We Own The Night is a crime thriller set in the late 1980s about two brothers on opposite sides of the law. I play the girlfriend of Joaquin Phoenix, a manager for a club involved with the Russian Mafia, whose brother (played by Mark Wahlberg) is a cop targeting the Mafia for drug involvement. It’s a great cast, and it was such a thrill to play opposite actors like Joaquin, Mark, and Robert Duvall. I’ve also just finished filming The Women, which was very cool, and I’m just starting a really amazing project called The Spirit.

What issue involving animals is dearest to your heart? Also, you have a lot of fans out there which gives you a powerful platform to reach people and make a difference: What is your message to them about having compassion and getting active to help animals?
I’d say the closest animal rights issue to me right now is being anti-fur. I feel like in recent years, due to pop culture, fur has made a comeback. Some people still see wearing fur as glamorous and a sign of prosperity. Personally I think wearing a baby chinchilla says, “I’m ignorant,” vs. saying “I’m a badass.” I don’t think you can force people to change their attitudes, but you can help to educate them and to lead by example. … There are way too many amazing faux fur options out there for people to still be wearing real fur. I want people to know that there are options; that killing a poor animal and wearing it isn’t cool. But respecting all life forms is cool. Very cool.

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We all know Eva Mendes for her sex appeal, sense of humor, and killer roles alongside Hollywood’s finest, but she still always manages to surprise us…read on as Latina reveals what you may not have known about this sultry starlet…

On the hot opening scene of We Own the Night…

“Unfortunately, yes [I had to get buzzed]. It was a big deal, even though you’ve seen me do more nudity. We were rehearsing the scene one morning, and I started crying like a little Catholic girl.”

“I told him (Papi) and everybody else in my family to come 15 minutes late [to the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival].”

On the Ideal Role…Dark & Risqué!

“A lot of actresses are so stuck on looking beautiful, and I really am not. I’m about letting the beauty and the ugliness come out.”

Fave Latina Actresses in Hollywood:

“I admire all of us, because it’s not easy to tear down boundaries. I adore Penelope Cruz. I remember going to see Volver and just crying. I love the up-and-coming ones, too, like Zoë Saldana – she’s a really funny girl. I just want more of us.”

Looking back to her childhood:

“It’s just so hard to go to school and be a 12-year-old, period. I wanted to have finer features, I didn’t want to be so dark, I didn’t want to have my mom speaking Spanish in front of the school where everyone was watching. But thank G-d it was just a phase.”

As for her beau, George Augusto…

“Even if you’re complete opposites, what matters is that you balance each other out, like a see saw – you don’t want to be on the floor or up in the sky. I’m really high-strung, loud and obnoxious. My boyfriend is quiet, mild-mannered and completely rational, whereas I’m completely emotional.”

Looking into the future…

“[If I had a daughter], I would teach her about culture. That’s probably why I don’t have kids yet. I feel like I need to go to Cuba first – whether Castro is in power or not – and figure out some stuff on my own. I guess it would be fun to go with my daughter and find out together.”