AceShowbiz - Eva Mendes has credited Angelina Jolie with inspiring her celebrity peers to help good causes - because the philanthropic actress has made charity work "cool". Jolie is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations and travels across the world for good causes.

This year alone has she visited refugees in South America, displaced children in Haiti and flood victims in Pakistan. And Mendes, who has signed up to work with sick kids through the Art of Elysium Foundation, admits she is thoroughly impressed with Jolie's efforts to make the world a better place.

She tells Fox News, "I have to say that Angelina Jolie did something really interesting when she became 'Angelina Jolie.' She took all that light and attention she was getting and she shined that light on important causes. I think that's pretty incredible and she was the one that made it cool to do all that."