Eva Longoria saved 'John Wick' when the funding fell through; 'Best money I've ever spent'

Eva Longoria played a pivotal part in launching the franchise of "John Wick." Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the directors of the original film, revealed in an interview commemorating the film's 10th anniversary that Longoria stepped in once the film's funding had run out, saving the project, with the hit film becoming one of her first major producing roles. 

© Amy Sussman

"We were less than a week out, and we lost almost $6 million on a gap financing," said Stahelski to Business Insider. "We were financing independently to get the bond, but one of the investors couldn't raise the money in time."

Even though Stahelski, Leitch, and lead star Keanu Reeves had funded the film with their own money, funding was so low that production was stalled, prompting them to reach out to other sources. One of these people was Longoria, who decided to help out, funding the remaining 6 million dollars. 

The opportunity became her first major producing role, paving the way for her future as one of the hardest-working producers in the industry. 

"She came to the rescue, and she provided the gap financing, literally less than 24 hours before we had to lock the doors on the movie and walk away," said Stahelski. 

The directors then took Longoria to dinner to thank her, discussing the crazy experience once the movie became a hit. "She was laughing, going, 'I didn't think it was going to work,'" said Stahelski. 

"We were reminiscing," he said. "She was like, 'Wow, that was the best money I've ever spent.' It paid back significantly for her."

Longoria's career was recently recognized by the US government

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This year, Longoria was awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities, one of the highest honors that can be granted to artists and art patrons in the country. "I'm so honored to receive the National Medal of Arts. Throughout my career, uplifting Latino stories and celebrating our talent has been my North Star. To be recognized for this work by the President of the United States is a special moment not just for me and my career, but our whole community. This is a reinforcement that our voices matter and that we have to keep using them," she wrote in an Instagram story. 

Longoria was honored alongside entertainment icons like Selena Quintanilla, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Cohen, and Spike Lee.