Actress, singer, skincare ambassador… if there’s an end to the talents of rising star Eiza Gonzalez, it’s yet to be found. Over the past decade, Eiza has achieved international recognition for her diverse range of talents and superlative performances. After achieving early success in such Spanish speaking features as Sueña conmigo and Lola, érase una vez, Eiza transitioned into English speaking roles in 2013- so far, the move has proved more than fruitful. Eiza is now a recognized face across the world, thanks in no small part to her acclaimed performances in films like Baby Driver (2017) and Welcome to Marwen (2018). 2019 has already got off to an excellent start for the young actress, with 2 films already released (Paradise Hills and Cut-Throat City) and several more in the bag (including the hotly anticipated Hobbs & Shaw and Godzilla vs Kong). With her star most definitely in the ascendant, now’s never been a better time to find out 20 things you didn’t know about Eiza Gonzalez.
1. Her mother is a former model
There’s a reason Eiza looks the way she does: her mother is former Mexican model, Glenda Reyna. Reyna was the primary caregiver to the young Eiza after her father sadly passed away in a motorcycle when Eiza was just 12 years old. Eiza was raised in both the Spanish and English tradition, attending 2 private bi-lingual schools (the Edron Academy and the American School Foundation) in Mexico City.
2. Her father’s death had a huge impact on her life
As would be expected, the passing of Eiza’s father when she was just 12 years old had a significant and long-lasting impact on the actress. For several years after his death, Eiza suffered from depression and compulsive eating. “My father and I had an amazing relationship. We were very close. I fell into a very dark place and I couldn’t deal with [the] loss. I wasn’t in a good place. I wouldn’t say I had an eating disorder,” she explained to E News. “I would say I was going through depression.”
3. She started acting at 13
Eiza’s acting ambitions kicked in at an early age: at 13, she enrolled in an acting course at M&M Studio (which just so happened to be run by Patricia Reyes Spindola, a Mexican actress famed for her appearances in Motivos de Luz (1985) and La reina de la noche (1994)); at 14, she was studying at the renowned acting school, Centre de Educacion Artistic; at 16, she was playing the part of Lola Valente, lead protagonist in teen drama, Lola, érase una vez; by 17, she had left Mexico behind to enroll on a three month acting course at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.
4. She lived in Buenos Aires for a year
In April 2009, Eiza was cast in the Nickelodeon teen sitcom, Sueña conmigo. The series was shot in Buenos Aires, forcing Eiza to leave her home in Mexico and set up camp in the Argentinian capital. The series took a year to shoot, although Eiza did manage to occasionally find time between shooting to return to Mexico and reconnect with her family. The show aired throughout Europe and Latin America, proving so popular in Argentina that the cast were invited to perform several concerts throughout the county in the spring and summer of 2011.
5. She was (almost) cast in All Hail the Squash Blossom Queen
After enjoying several years of success in Spanish speaking features, Eiza (almost) broke into English speaking roles with her casting in All Hail the Squash Blossom Queen (2013). The film, directed by Adrian Cervantes, was set to star Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter’s Ginny Weasley) as the lead protagonist, with Eiza taking the role of Brittany. Unfortunately, the film’s casting had a major shake up in 2015, and Eiza was ultimately dropped from the project.
6. Her English-speaking debut was in From Dusk to the Dawn: The Series
Eiza may have lost out on a part in All Hail the Squash Blossom Queen, but that didn’t put the brakes on her transition into English speaking roles. In November 2013, Eiza finally got her foot in the door of Hollywood with the TV dramatization of From Dusk to the Dawn. Eiza took the role of Santanico Pandemonium, a character originally played by Salma Hayek in the film of the same name. Eiza (and the series) proved a hit: the show was renewed for a 2nd season, and Eiza’s status in the industry was well and try cemented.
7. Her mother is her rock
After her father’s sad passing, Eiza’s strong bond with her mother proved her saving grace. The older woman’s stoic attitude helped pull Eiza out of the depression she fell into after her dad’s death, and her strength is something Eiiza never ceases to admire. “My mom was very much alpha. I admired her because she was the working mom on the go,” she shared with E News. “She’s such a boss. She was so strong and raised her children by herself. She kept being as a positive as she could, and she kept going. I adore my mom. She and I are best friends.”
8. She’s notoriously private
As any young actress knows, trying to keep your personal life private can be tough-going. Eiza, however, is doing her very best to keep her private affairs exactly that. “I don’t think it’s necessary,” she told E News about her decision to stay close-lipped on her private life. “I think that your life as a public person is already so exposed. I don’t know why it’s such a big thing.”
9. She released her debut album in 2009
In 2008, Eiza decided to branch out from acting by signing a record deal with EMI Televisa. Her resulting debut, Contracorriente, was released by the label in November 2009 in Latin America, and in January 2010 in the US. The album proved a huge hit in Latin America, particularly in her home country of Mexica, where it achieved a #13 spot on the Mexico Top 100 Albums Chart.
10. She released her 2nd album in 2012
The popularity of her 2009 debut album inspired Eiza to try and repeat the same success in 2012. Unfortunately, her follow- up album failed to achieve quite the same level of success as her first offering… albeit by only a narrow margin. The album, Te Acordarás de Mi, polled at #66 on the Mexico Top 100 Albums Charts and at #14 on the US Billboard Latin Pop Album chart.
11. She was dropped from the cover of Latina magazine
According to her IMDB profile, Eiza was all set to feature on the May/ June 2017 cover of the magazine Latina. Bagging the cover of any magazine is an exciting opportunity for any up-and-coming star, but that rings especially true for publications with the kind of readership Latina (a lifestyle, beauty and fashion magazine for bilingual Hispanic women) enjoys. Unfortunately for Eiza, the plans were dropped after the magazine ran into financial difficulties amid a leadership shake-up.
12. She’s a Neutrogena ambassador
With the kind of flawless skin Eiza sports, it was always just a matter of time before she landed a deal with a skincare brand. In 2015, she did exactly that, securing a sponsorship deal with skincare giant Neutrogena as their new ambassador. In a statement issued at the time, Eiza enthused about how excited she was about the being the new face of the brand, especially given how she’s been a loyal fan of Neutrogena since she was a teenager. “I’m humbled to represent a brand that values the Latina culture and encourages women to embrace a natural, beautiful and healthy appearance,” she enthused.
13. She’s an award- winner
Despite being only 29 years old, Eiza’s career has been substantial. Her nuanced performances in over 14 films and 5 TV shows have certainly not gone unnoticed by critics, who have showered her with praise….and awards. Her first win was in 2008, when she picked up a TVyNovelas Award in the category of Best Female Revelation for her work in Lola, érase una vez. In 2011, she picked up a Kids Choice Award as Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie for The Croods, along with another award in the category of Newcomer on TV. In addition to her awards for acting, she’s also managed to pick up several for her singing talents, including Favorite Artist at the Kids Choice Award and Breakout Artist/ Group of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards.
14. She dated Josh Duhamel
Eiza has enjoyed several high-profile relationships over the years, including a short lived (but very public) entanglement with Safe Haven star, Josh Duhamel. The two reportedly began dating in February 2018, following Duhamel’s split from Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie, in 2017. Unfortunately, the relationship didn’t last the course, with the pair apparently calling it a day in the summer of 2018. “If you are looking for Eiza, we’re done”, he told reporters.
15. She’s been linked to an NBA Player
Since her split with Josh Duhamel last year, Eiza has been keeping herself busy with rumored flings with soccer star, Jermaine Jones, and NBA player, Klay Thompson. Although reports of both affairs have been speculative, the young actress certainly has form when it comes to dating some of the world’s most eligible bachelors. Prior to her relationship with Duhamel, Eiza had been linked with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Calvin Harris and Liam Hemsworth.
16. She’s joining the Fast and Furious Franchise
In November 2018, Variety reported that Eiza was set to join the ensemble of Universal’s “Fast and Furious” spinoff “Hobbs and Shaw”. Her addition to the franchise was a little last minute: despite producers always wanting the Mexican beauty to join the production, there was some debate as to whether she could fit the feature in between shooting Legendary’ s “Godzilla vs. Kong. Thankfully, she could… Eiza will take the role of Madam M in the spinoff, which is due to hit our screen in July 2019.
17. You’ll never catch her sunbathing
For fans dying to know the secret to Eiza’s flawless good lucks, the answer is pretty simple: rock climbing, getting regular blood tests, and staying as far away from the sun as humanly possible. The pretty actress told W Magazine that when it comes to looking good from the outside, it’s all about loving yourself from the inside: “My life motto outside of set is self-love,” she says. “Love my skin, my hair, my body and be good to it. And keep it simple.”
18. She’s set to star in Godzilla vs. Kong
In 2018, it was announced that Eiza would be joining Swedish heart-throb Alexander Skarsgard on the set of hotly anticipated movie, Godzilla vs. Kong. The feature, which will be the fourth Godzilla outing from Legendary’s MonsterVerse, is due to be released in 2D, 3D and Imax in March 2020. Eiza’s role in the film has yet to be announced, but whatever it is, it’s sure to do her status as one the hottest stars in town no harm at all.
19. She refuses to be pigeon-holed
Eiza is not one to sit idly by and allow people to perpetuate stereotypes. While proud to be Latino, Eiza refused to be pigeonholed, something she spoke about in length to ET: “You’ll Google some actresses and it says ‘actress’,” Eiza explained. “But if you Google me it’s ‘Mexican actress,’ and that’s the stereotype that I want to break. As an actress, that’s my agenda. If that means taking smaller roles that’s going to help get to that place and be seen in a different light [so be it]. [I want people to say], ‘Oh, she went and did this but then went and did that.’ That, to me, is the idea’.
20. She has a net worth of $5 million
She may only be 29 years old, but Eiza Gonzalez has already built up a substantial body of work… something that is more than reflected in her hefty fortune. According to CNW, the talented actress is currently worth a reported $5 million dollars. With 2019 set to be Eiza’s best year yet thanks to her roles in such popular franchises as the Fast and Furious and Godzilla, this is one fortune that isn’t going anywhere but up.
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