Eva Longoria

Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón (née Longoria; born March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, director, and businesswoman. After several guest roles on television, she gained popularity for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless (2001–2003). Her breakthrough role as Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives (2004–2012) earned her two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe nomination. She has appeared in the films The Sentinel (2006), Over Her Dead Body (2008), For Greater Glory (2012), Frontera (2014), Lowriders (2016), and Overboard (2018), winning an Imagen Award for the latter. She guest-starred on the Hulu mystery comedy-drama series Only Murders in the Building (2024), earning her a third Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

In 2005, Longoria founded UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, a film and television production company. In 2023, the company was acquired by Hyphenate Media Group, a production company co-founded by Longoria and Cris Abrego. She also executive produced the Lifetime television series Devious Maids (2013–2016), the short-lived NBC sitcom Telenovela (2015–2016) in which she starred, and the films The Harvest (2010) and Food Chains (2014). Her directorial ventures include the television series Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love (2020), for which she was nominated at the Daytime Creative Arts Emmys, and the Oscar-nominated film Flamin' Hot (2023).

Eva Longoria received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. She has appeared in several advertising campaigns, including with L'Oréal, New York & Co, Pepsi, and launched her own fashion and perfumes brand in 2017. Her other business ventures include opening the restaurant Beso in 2008, investing in businesses and films such as John Wick (2014), and publishing a cookbook.

Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 15, 1975, the youngest of the four daughters of her Tejano parents Ella Longoria (née Mireles) and Enrique Longoria Jr. One of her sisters has special needs. Longoria told Redbook in 2016:

There was never any resentment, because I saw how hard my mother worked and all she did for my sister [with special needs], and I wanted to do whatever I could to help. We all did.

She was raised Roman Catholic. She did not speak Spanish growing up, and did not learn the language until 2009. While in high school, she worked at a Wendy's restaurant part-time for three years, initially so she could raise funds for her quinceañera. Longoria previously told the press how her years in fast food as a teen shaped her work ethic, saying "I couldn't wait to get to work and make my own money." Longoria earned her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. At that time (1998), she also won the title of Miss Corpus Christi USA. After completing college, she entered a talent contest that led her to Los Angeles; and shortly thereafter, was spotted and signed by a theatrical agent. While auditioning for roles, she worked as a headhunter for four years. Longoria has publicly credited Jennifer Lopez as being an inspiration to her early in her career. "Jennifer broke down so many doors so that we could walk through them," she told the magazine People. "And she kicked them down. They were not easy doors." She also described Tejana legend Selena as being "my idol, my inspiration" and "the reason I even dared to dream that a better life was possible." After three years at California State University, Northridge, she received her master's degree in Chicano studies in May 2013. "This place was probably the place I grew most in my life… I was exhausted the whole time I was here," she laughs. "I did night school. I would finish filming [Desperate Housewives] and come here 7 to 10 at night, and then, go home and do it all again. Be on set at 5:00 a.m. It fills my heart with my Mexican pride." Her thesis was "Success STEMS From Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM Careers".

Longoria guest-starred in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. Another guest appearance on General Hospital the same year led to a contract role on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, where she portrayed Isabella Braña from 2001 to 2003.

After leaving that show, she appeared in the 2003 revival of Jack Webb's long-running Dragnet media franchise. She then starred in Señorita Justice, a poorly received direct-to-video film; and a television film, The Dead Will Tell.

In 2003, Longoria was cast as Gabrielle Solis in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives. She later commented, "I think it's funny when people say I'm an overnight sensation, because I've been working at it for 10 years."

Shortly after her debut on Desperate Housewives, she starred in a direct-to-video film, Carlita's Secret, for which she was also co-producer.

In 2006, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, along with her co-stars in Desperate Housewives. That year, she received the ALMA Award, and was named entertainer of the year. She also starred opposite Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland in the thriller The Sentinel (2006)—her first major role in a theatrical feature film—and played Sylvia in Harsh Times, starring Freddy Rodríguez and Christian Bale.

In the summer of 2010, she was a judge on The Next Food Network Star; and in October, she hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards 2010 in Madrid, Spain.

Based on her earnings from June 1, 2009, to June 1, 2010, Longoria was ranked No. 4 on Forbes Prime Time's 10 Top-Earning Women with an estimated $12 million. She topped the Forbes magazine's list of the highest-paid TV actresses for 2011.

In 2013, Longoria professed that she was a "cat lady", and appeared as a spokesperson for Sheba Cat Food.

From 2013, she served as one of the executive producers of Devious Maids and directed the season two premiere, "An Ideal Husband". In 2016, she also starred in the fourth season, in the episode "Once More Unto the Bleach". She is also an executive producer of the documentaries The Harvest and Food Chains, for which she won a James Beard Foundation Award.

In 2014, she had a recurring role in the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

In August 2019, Longoria was announced as the director of the biopic Flamin' Hot, her feature-length directorial debut. The film was released in 2023, amid a controversy into the authenticity of the subject matter.

In September 2020, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment renewed a three-year first-look deal with 20th Television.

In 2021, Longoria was working with Kenya Barris to develop a possible new television series Brown-ish about a Latino family.

She will produce a Spanish-language adaptation of the television series Call My Agent! for Latin America and the U.S. and direct the first two episodes.

In June 2024, the Los Angeles Times featured Longoria in its "L.A. Influential" series as a "creator who is leaving their mark" in Los Angeles.

In March 2008, Longoria opened the restaurant Beso (which means "kiss" in Spanish) in Hollywood, along with partner and celebrity chef Todd English. The restaurant is located on Hollywood Boulevard, and is accompanied by Kiss, a Victorian-themed nightclub on the floor above. The Hollywood Beso was scheduled to be the focus of a pilot episode for a tentative reality series called Beso: Waiting on Fame, to air on VH1 in late 2010. In 2009, Longoria and various investor-partners opened a Beso restaurant, with a nightclub called Eve above it, in the Crystals retail and entertainment district of CityCenter in Las Vegas.

In 2011, the corporation Beso LLC, owner of the Vegas restaurant-and-nightclub venture, with listed assets of about $2.5 million and Longoria as a 32 percent shareholder, filed for Chapter 11 protection, entering bankruptcy proceedings, in order to restructure nearly $5.7 million in debt and other liabilities. On July 28, 2011, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Nevada ordered Longoria to appear in Las Vegas on August 20 in order to be examined about the bankrupt restaurant's finances.

In terms of food-related promotions, in 2012 and 2013, Longoria paired with Iron Chef Michael Symon for a promotion for PepsiCo's Lay's potato chips contest called "Do Us A Flavor". The promotion encourages consumers to submit new flavor ideas and fans to vote for their favorite on Facebook. The person who creates the winning flavor is awarded $1 million or one percent of chip flavor's net sales.

A week before production of the 2014 film John Wick was due to commence, Longoria provided $6 million in emergency funding according to a Milken Institute conversation with Kevin Yorn. She doubled her investment in 10 years and receives financial returns from the success of the film.

In 2015, Longoria announced that she had teamed up with sportswear manufacturer Sunrise Brands to create a women's apparel collection, set to launch Fall 2016.

In 2006, Longoria founded Eva's Heroes, a charity which helps young adults with developmental disabilities. Based in San Antonio, Texas, it was inspired by her sister, who has intellectual disabilities.

Longoria is the national spokesperson for PADRES Contra El Cancer. She signed shoes for the Spirit of Women Red Shoe Celebrity Auction. She also supports the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, OmniPeace, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Stroke Association, Project HOME and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She is an executive producer of Shine Global Inc.'s documentary The Harvest, which focuses on the 500,000 child migrant farm workers in the U.S. and promotes awareness and support to enact the Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act).

Her other charity, the Eva Longoria Foundation, aims to close the education gap plaguing Latinas and to confront Latino poverty. She started: "The Eva Longoria Foundation supports programs which help Latinas excel in school and attend college. Additionally, we work to provide Latina entrepreneurs with career training, mentorship, capital and opportunity." The foundation offers nine-week "parent engagement" courses to help Latino parents; has a mentorship program and other activities for Latinas; and provides loans to Latina-owned businesses. It is co-funded by philanthropist Howard Buffett, son of investor Warren Buffett.

Longoria was named Philanthropist of the Year in 2009 by The Hollywood Reporter for her commitment to Latino causes and giving back to the community. She appeared on Fort Boyard in 2009, helping attract more than €20,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In 2009, Longoria enrolled in a Master's program in Chicano studies and political science at Cal State University, Northridge. She said, "Because of my involvement with the NCLR and my charity work, I really wanted a better, more authentic understanding of what my community has gone through so I [could] help create change." She graduated with a master's degree in Chicano studies in May 2013.

Longoria has a keen interest in immigration. She accompanied a border patrol in Arizona and has immersed herself in the issues to understand the Mexican and the U.S. points of view. She has described Arizona's SB 1070 immigration law as unconstitutional.

In 2012, Longoria was one of seven Californians named to the post of co-chair of Barack Obama's reelection campaign. On September 6, she spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention where she endorsed President Obama's reelection. In May 2014, she initiated the Latino Victory Project to raise funds for candidates and efforts to get out the vote. An executive producer of the documentaries The Harvest and Food Chains, she is a supporter of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

In 2014, Longoria endorsed Marianne Williamson for California's 33rd congressional district. In 2018, Longoria endorsed Beto O'Rourke for Senate against Senator Ted Cruz, as well as Colin Allred for Texas's 32nd congressional district against then-incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions.

Longoria spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 26, 2016. In August 2020, she hosted the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which was held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Longoria spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, 2024.

In preparation of Georgia's runoff elections, on January 2, 2021, Longoria participated in a VoteRiders textbanking event with America Ferrera to help educate Latina voters regarding the state's voter ID laws. Longoria was touted by Texas Monthly as a potential top Democratic contender in the 2024 United States Senate election in Texas, citing her past refusal to rule out a run for office in the future.

Longoria's first book, Eva's Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends, was published in April 2011.

Longoria was married to actor Tyler Christopher, star of General Hospital, from 2002 to 2004.

Longoria met Tony Parker, then the point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, in November 2004. On November 30, 2006, they became engaged, and married in a civil service on July 6, 2007, at a Paris city hall. They had a Catholic wedding ceremony at the Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois Church in Paris on July 7, 2007.

According to research done in 2010 by Harvard professor and Faces of America host Henry Louis Gates Jr., Longoria's oldest identifiable Spanish immigrant ancestor is her ninth great-grandfather, Lorenzo Suárez de Longoria (b. Oviedo, 1592), who was a colonist of the Viceroyalty of New Spain in 1603. His family was based in a small village called Llongoria, Belmonte de Miranda, Asturias, Spain. Longoria is the Castillanized form of this Asturian-language surname.

In 1767, her seventh great-grandfather received almost 4,000 acres (16 km2) of land along the Rio Grande in a land grant from King Charles III of Spain. The family retained this land for more than a century. After the US-Mexican border was moved southwards in the aftermath of the Mexican–American War, the land ended up on the American side of the border. Her family had to deal with the influx of United States settlers following the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

According to DNA testing, Longoria's overall genetic ancestry is 70% European, 27% Indigenous American, and 3% African. A computer analysis of the DNA results of Gates's dozen guests showed that Longoria has the same genetic haplogroup as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who is of Chinese heritage. As women have two X chromosomes and no Y chromosome, Longoria did not inherit her father's Y-DNA, but she did inherit her mother's mitochondrial DNA (genetic information passed from mother to child). Longoria's mtDNA belongs to the Haplogroup A2, making her a direct descendant of a Native American woman, a Mayan from the territory of Mexico long before it was Mexico. Her ancestors include many other Maya on both sides of her family.

Longoria identifies as a "Texican"—a Mexican-American Texan.

In 2010, Longoria appeared on an episode of Dr. Henry Louis Gates genealogy series “Faces of America” where she discovered she is related to actress Meryl Streep.