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."

Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from acting. The "Walk the Line" star - who was nominated for an Oscar for his role as country singer Johnny Cash in the 2005 movie - has revealed he is quitting the movie industry to concentrate on his music career.

Speaking about his appearance in new movie "Two Lovers" alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, he told U.S. TV show "Extra": "I want to take this opportunity to give you the exclusive. This will be my last performance as an actor. I'm not doing films anymore."

Joaquin Phoenix was forced to miss the premiere of his movie "The Two Lovers" at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday due to the flu.

Phoenix's rep, Susan Patricola said, "Joaquin has the stomach flu. He had his dog boarded, his tux in hand but couldn't even sit on the plane. He did go to the hospital to get hydrated, hoping he could get on the plane, but he didn't stay there. He was so sick, and so sorry he couldn't be there with everyone."

Eva Mendes says finger-painting with sick children has "enriched her life".

The Hollywood star often volunteers for charity The Art of Elysium, which invites celebrities to visit hospitalised kids and help them find a "creative escape" through the arts, and insists a "human connection" is more important than donating money.