Calendar Girl

Late last year, during Art Basel Miami Beach, I got to meet beautiful Eva Mendes on behalf of Miami Living magazine to discuss her exclusive starring role in the 2008 Campari Tales Calendar.

Hey – somebody’s gotta do it.

FYI: The large-format, limited-edition storybook calendar was shot by photographer Marino Parisotto on location in Rosignano, Italy, over five days last year.

For the actress, the 12-month portfolio was an opportunity to “play all these fantastic characters” and sort of update what it means be a woman in a fairy tale.

That’s just great – you should read all about it in Miami Living, on stands now – but here’s what she told me about what’s coming up for her in 2008.

“I just finished a film called The Spirit with Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson. It’s a comic book film, and I play a jewel thief, which was fun,” she said.

“And I did a remake of The Women I’m really excited about. I play the role Joan Crawford played in the 1939 original. We updated the film a little bit to make it more modern. I tried to make my character a little funny because I think women now are different in the sense that we’re more aware. Maybe we’re funnier now, too.”

I cannot wait for this one, but I’ll have to: It doesn’t open until Oct. 10.

Photo: Miami Living.