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Eva Longoria

A political force, a business mind, and an advocate for women and Latinos


UPDATED SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 3:23 PM EDT

Eva Longoria is an actress most known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on the hit ABC series, ‘Desperate Housewives.’ Longoria was born in Texas in March 1975 to Ella Eva Mireles and Enrique Longoria Jr. The actress is one of four girls.

While studying kinesiology at Texas A&M, Longoria competed in beauty contests. In 1998, she won the title of Miss Corpus Christi USA and from there she entered more competitions that eventually led her to Los Angeles. Although she achieved success in beauty contests, Longoria continued her studies and earned her master’s degree in Chicano Studies, which is the study of Mexican-origin population at California State University.

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After meeting a producer at a political reception in Los Angeles, Longoria landed her first acting role guest starring on an episode of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210.’ After working on several different TV shows and soap operas, in 2003 Longoria took on her famous ‘Desperate Housewives’ role which earned Longoria a Golden Globe win.

From there, the Mexican-American actress appeared in several campaigns and she graced the covers of Vogue, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has even earned herself a spot on the list of Hollywood’s Most Beautiful People multiple times.

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Not only is Longoria an accomplished actress, she is also very involved in charity work. Eva’s Heroes is an organization that was inspired by Longoria’s special needs sister. The charity helps young adults with developmental disabilities. She is also very involved in politics and other causes close to her heart.

In addition to all of this, Longoria has managed to find time to open a restaurant in Hollywood called Beso, she has her own cookbook titled, Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends. Longoria also dabbled in the fashion industry when she launched the Eva Longoria Collection that offered dresses, denim, jackets, and statement tees.

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The Hollywood Reporter‘s Power 100 Women In Entertainment

Longoria also has her own production company, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. More recently, Longoria just wrapped on her directorial feature debut film, ‘Flamin’ Hot,’ which is the story about Richard Montañe, the creator of flamin hot cheetos. Longoria is now hard at work on a new sitcom series about a Latinx family.

Longoria is married to José Antonio Bastón, the former president of Televisa, the largest media company in Latin America. The couple has a three-year-old son together, Santiago “Santi” Enrique Bastón.

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