Eva Mendes Loves the Things Her Family and Friends Used to Poke Fun At  5/1/05

Movie star Eva Mendes used to get teased terribly about the things she's now famous for - her teeth, her mole and her childbearing hips.

The Hitch star grew up hating her look but she's glad she didn't let peer pressure prompt her to make changes.

She says, "(My overbite) is so big, my older brothers and sisters used to call me Bugs. I looked like a bottle opener.  "But I've never fixed my bite because it's one of the things that makes me me. "And the mole on my left cheek, in junior high the other kids would say, 'You've got some chocolate on your face,' and I fell for it every time.

"I said, 'The minute I turn 18 I'm going to get that mole removed,' but I'm happy I didn't."

But Mendes is most proud of her hips: "When I was younger I thought they were too big. I wanted to be slimmer. But now I totally embrace them."