Eva Mendes' award-winning butt

Eva Mendes' award-winning butt

Eva Mendes says her butt wins people Oscars.

The 28-year old actress has joked her shapely rear was behind Denzel Washington winning an Academy Award for 'Training Day', and thinks she should get credit if her latest film 'The Spirit' wins an Oscar.

Eva, 28, said: "I don't do nudity just for the sake of it. I've only done it twice before and that was opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington. And Denzel won an Oscar for it... Well not for our scene! For the movie."

Eva's behind also features prominently in a scene in 'The Spirit', though she says the director, Frank Miller, didn't tell her it would be in shot.

She added to Total Film magazine: "It was supposed to be in shadow. When I saw the scene, I was shocked. It was supposed to be a silhouette. But it wasn't. That's definitely my skin. And that's definitely my behind.

"And honestly I thought my character was such a strong dame and such a throwback that I felt like it was empowering."