Eva Longoria is a Hollywood actress of Latin American descent who gained the unofficial title of "most desperate," playing Gabrielle Solis in the popular TV series "Desperate Housewives".
In the photo: Eva Longoria
She is an official representative of the L’Oreal brand, a model and producer, restaurateur, and writer. As a child, she considered herself an ugly duckling and an adopted child, but now she is called one of the most attractive and sexy women in the world. She was honored with the People's Choice Award as the favorite TV star and the ALMA Awards for "Person of the Year".
Childhood, Youth, Family
Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born in the spring of 1975 to Enrique Longoria and Ella Eva Mireles in Corpus Christi, Texas. Eva's great-great...grandfather, Lorenzo Suarez de Longoria, was born in Mexico in 1592 and later immigrated to New Spain with his parents, living in the small village of Longoria in the Spanish municipality of Belmonte-de-Miranda.
Eva Longoria as a child
The youngest girl in the family, Eva, grew up with her older sisters: Elizabeth Judina, Emily Jeanette, and Esmeralda Josephina. According to the actress, despite their poverty, their home was filled with love and order.
Eva Longoria (right) with her sisters
The eldest sister, nicknamed Lisa at home, was born prematurely and had limited abilities. She greatly influenced Eva's perception of the world. Watching her sister overcome daily challenges, achieving little victories, inspired Eva. She strived to excel in school and helped around the house.
Much later, Eva recalled:
My mom started working at a school to help teachers with children with special needs, like my sister. Despite dedicating herself fully to the children, my mom managed to prepare dinner for six people every day. My father, a military engineer, would come home, and everything had to be in order. Comfort, love, respect for each other – that was the atmosphere in our family. Emily and Esmeralda, my other two sisters, were also role models for me. Emily was exceptional at math, aced her exams, and got into a prestigious university. There was never a question that I wouldn't get a higher education.
After school, Eva obtained a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Kingsville University. She received her master's degree later than her sisters, but she won the beauty contest of her hometown. The crown came with a trip to Los Angeles to participate in future model and actress contests.
Winner of the Miss Corpus Christy beauty contest
Eva was not naive and understood that such events were not an automatic ticket to Hollywood. She treated this trip as a tour, but to her surprise, she won one contest after another and soon had a queue of agents waiting for her.
Career Path
Like most budding actresses, Eva's first roles were bit parts. Longoria was among hundreds of Hollywood hopefuls leading a semi-starving lifestyle, participating in auditions, working on television, and as an extra.
She made her debut in the TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210" in 2000, where Eva appeared in the episodic role of a stewardess. This was followed by minor roles in soap operas "General Hospital" and "Mad TV", after which she was offered the role of capricious and sarcastic Isabella Brana Williams in "The Young and the Restless".
Eva Longoria in Beverly Hills, 90210
Persistent and hardworking, Eva did not turn down stereotypical roles of fiery Latinas. She modeled for clothing magazines until 2003 when she was offered a lead role in the new project "Desperate Housewives". Her character, Gabrielle Solis, is a glamorous lady. She married for money and had an affair behind her husband's back with a young gardener, played by Jesse Metcalfe.
Eva Longoria in Desperate Housewives
The series was so loved by viewers that Longoria appeared in it until 2012. If in the first season Longoria received $30,000 per episode, from the second season she started receiving $250,000.
Desperate Housewives - Gaby FUNNIEST clips
The role brought Eva not only pleasure from working on set and financial prosperity, but also Bambi, Teen Choice, and Screen Actors Guild awards. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series.
Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis
In 2005, the actress signed a two million dollar contract and became the face of the L’Oreal brand. She also took first place in the list of most beautiful women according to Maxim magazine, moving to the top position from the bottom of the list in just one year.
Longoria – L’Oreal ambassador
After the movie's release, Eva became popular and recognizable, and her career began to move much faster. In 2006, along with Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez, the actress starred in the crime thriller "Harsh Times", where she played Sylvia.
A shot from the movie Harsh Times
That same year, the action movie "The Sentinel" was released, in which Longoria appeared alongside A-list stars Michael Douglas, Kim Basinger, and Kiefer Sutherland. Soon after, Longoria was offered the lead role of Kate in Jeff Lowell's comedy "Over Her Dead Body", where she once again shone with comedic talent.
Eva Longoria in the movie Over Her Dead Body
In 2012, the actress took part in the filming of Dina Arvizu's Mexican historical drama "For Greater Glory". She played Tulita Gorostietta, a rebellious girl. Next in her filmography was the role of Sophia Perez in the comedic crime series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine".
On the set of For Greater Glory
The following year, Eva became a producer and director of several episodes in the TV series "Devious Maids", and then continued her production work in the action movie "John Wick". In 2015, the actress appeared in the horror film "Visions", and two years later, she played the leading role of Margo Best-Chetwynd in the British project "Decline and Fall".
Eva Longoria in a swimsuit
In the comedy remake "Overboard", Longoria appeared as Teresa, a friend of the main character. In the drama "Grand Hotel", she not only played Beatriz Mendoza, but also directed and produced the film.
A shot from Grand Hotel
With Nina Dobrev and Vanessa Hudgens, Eva appeared in the melodrama "Dog Days", and then played the leading role of the mother in the family adventure film by James Bobin "Dora and the Lost City of Gold". In the story about the daughter of archaeologists, Isabela Moner and Michael Peña also participated. The shooting took place in Australia, and Eva went there with her family, including her little son.
…this character is an icon for our Spanish-speaking community worldwide. In the first cartoon movie, she was a little seven-year-old girl, a lover of adventures, a little explorer, and in the new movie, Dora is already 16 years old. My friends from different countries called me and said: 'Oh my god, Eva, are you really going to play our Dora's mom?'. That's another reason why I agreed. Such projects take our culture to a completely new level.
Parallel to her film career, Longoria made her mark in the modeling business. The Spanish edition of "People" included her in the list of most beautiful people, and Maxim magazine ranked her first two years in a row in the "Hottest Female Celebrities" rating.
Eva Longoria's photo shoot for Maxim
In 2016, the actress created her own clothing collection, focusing not on the cover girl, but on the real-life woman. Longoria also actively monitors the activities of the Eva’s Heroes organization, which she created to help children with Down syndrome. At the same time, she engages in charity work, helping girls from poor families to get a higher education.
Eva Longoria during the coronavirus pandemic
In 2020, Eva directed one of the episodes (2nd season, 4th episode) of the popular anthology series "Why Women Kill". In 2022, Eva played one of the main roles in another anthology series – "Tell It Like a Woman", and also starred in the rom-com about love and digital detox "Unplugging".
A shot from the movie Unplugging
Eva Longoria's Personal Life
While filming the series "General Hospital", Eva caught the eye of one of the lead actors, Tyler Christopher. Unable to resist the charms of the young beauty, the actor, after a brief romance, married her in 2002. The couple was married for two years before they divorced.
Eva Longoria and Tyler Christopher
After the divorce, Eva wasn't single for long - she started dating JC Chasez, former vocalist of the band N'Sync, but they soon decided to remain friends. In 2006, Longoria accepted a marriage proposal from French basketball player Tony Parker.
Eva Longoria's first husband Tony Parker
The groom was eight years younger than the bride and taller by more than a head, but this didn't prevent them from marrying and having a wedding in a Parisian Catholic cathedral. The romance of the situation was emphasized by the wedding date – 07.07.2007. The actress was radiating happiness and spoke about the tenderness, love, and trust between her and her husband.
Unfortunately, this union lasted until 2011, and when Eva filed for divorce, she cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason and returned to her maiden name. She didn't disclose the true reasons, although the media speculated about her young husband's infidelities.
In 2011 the couple filed for divorce
A month after the divorce, Eva was seen in public with Eduardo Cruz, the younger brother of actress Penelope Cruz. Their romance was passionate, with fiery arguments followed by equally fiery embraces and hot kisses. A year later, the passion subsided and the couple broke up.
With Eduardo Cruz
The next chosen one of the "Desperate Housewives" star was football player Mark Sanchez, but this relationship was even shorter than the previous one. Soon, Longoria was accompanied by businessman Ernesto Arguello, whom Eva met on a reality show she was producing.
With Mark Sanchez
All loose ends were tied up in 2015 when the actress announced her new engagement to Mexican media mogul Jose Antonio Baston. Their wedding took place six months later, where the bride wore a wedding dress designed by Victoria Beckham, who also accompanied Eva as her bridesmaid.
The wedding of Eva Longoria and Jose Antonio Baston
After the ceremony, Longoria announced that she now had a double surname in her passport, although she uses her maiden name in films. Discussions about the actress's personal life didn't subside, especially after her photos with a noticeably rounded belly appeared on Instagram.
Eva Longoria with her husband and son
In 2018, Eva successfully gave birth to a boy named Santiago Enrique. A month after giving birth, the happy mother and son appeared on the cover of HOLA! magazine. Readers immediately began discussing the extra weight on the actress's body, but just two months later, Longoria regained her previous shape by actively training at the gym. She published a photo in a swimsuit with her slimmed-down figure on her page, confessing that she is now completely happy.
Eva Longoria Gets Parenting Tips from Will Ferrell
Eva Longoria Now
In 2023, the premiere of Eva Longoria's first feature film, the biographical drama "Flamin' Hot," took place. The plot focuses on the life of Richard Montanez, a renowned entrepreneur and motivational speaker, who went from a boy who dropped out of school and became a janitor to the inventor of Cheetos chips. The lead role in the film was played by Jesse Garcia.
Eva Longoria, the cast of ‘Flamin’ Hot’ dish on new film
