Mexican-American Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on 15th March 1975, where she grew up and studied. The youngest of 4 daughters got her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at Texas A&M, Kingsville, and soon after entered a talent contest that took her to LA. On the same day she was signed by an agent she had four auditions and since then everything has developed pretty fast for Eva.
She’s known in daytime television for her soup-opera times, specially her latest role as Isabella on The Young and the Restless – that won her an ALMA Award, and guest appearances at a wide variety of shows like General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and Beverly Hills 90210. She has also had starting roles on movies, the latest include Carlita’s Secret (2004) and Señorita Justice (2003), which she found particularly interesting for her role as a Latina detective who used both her brain n sexiness. Other highlights should include hosting The Talent Agency (2003), and the fact she’s getting behind the scenes as producer in the critically lauded comedy-variety show Hot Tamales Lives: Spicy, Hot and Hilarious. Plus she has debuted on theater too in What the Rabbi Saw. This woman was showing that “it” already, so when her character in The Young and the Restless was taken off the plot, her fans were hoping to see her on something even better – and their dreams came true.
Eva was the first actress cast for the current #1 primetime show, “Desperate Housewives”, as Gabrielle Solis. She was first attracted to the show by its writing, now 25 million-plus viewers are attracted to it aswell. Her character is a glamorous Latina who learnt too late that getting what she wanted – being a model, marrying the man of her dreams… - alone wouldn’t buy her happiness. So now she’s having an affair with her 17-year-old gardener; to what she says. “If [a woman] hires a gardener and he’s not a little Mexican man—and I can say that, because I’m Mexican—she’s probably having an affair.” This has earned Eva the title of raising star, being voted between the top faces to watch on Fall 2004 by TV Guide, Variety and USA Today. Plus being in the spotlight, she quickly got to People en Español’s “25 Most Beautiful People”. “I grew up as an ugly duckling. They used to call me prieta fea […] I was the different one. So when that came out I was like, ‘Ha, somebody thinks I am beautiful”.” Now she’s turning into a sex-symbol, mostly recently being included in Maxim Hot 100 for 2004 and 2005 Calendar; and a fashion icon who is predicted to become bigger than Jennifer Lopez.
Other than her Hollywood career, Eva enjoys discordant hobbies from sewing and crocheting, to sports. However, what she’s most passionate about is her involvement with MALDEF -- Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and being politically active. She recalls, “I was extremely politically active this year [2004]. I campaigned for Kerry. We did an outreach for Latino voters to get them to go out and vote. That was really tiring. And I didn't do very well, obviously. Ha-ha. But I will be more politically active [next year].”
On 2004 she also got divorced to actor Tyler Christopher, and then dated NSync’s JC Chasez. But she's starting 2005 fresh, blaiming the breakup to his age rage. Looking back, she says the year was “overwhelming, exciting, amazing, hard and fun”. We can only see a bright future for this so talented and focus woman who “don't regret anything” she does, and believes the keys to success are determination and discipline.
