Mendes wanted to join a convent and devote her life to the Catholic Church when she was a child but changed her mind, reports contactmusic.com.
"We didn't grow up with a lot of money so I would always tell my mom, 'Mommy I am going to buy you a big house when I grow up, and a car'," she said.
"And my sister said to me one day when I was 10, 'How are you going to buy mom all these things? You are going to be a nun and nuns don't get paid. I said, 'What?' and that was it, my convent dreams were over," she added.
After finding success and fame as an actress, the 36-year-old admits it was a very "proud moment" when she was able to make good on her promise to buy her mother a new home in 2002.
Tags: