Longoria in a publicity still, 2004 Eva Jacqueline Longoria (born March 15, 1975) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role in the ABC Television series Desperate Housewives. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Career 1.3 Personal life 2 Filmography 3 Personal quotes 4 References 5 External links Biography Early life Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Texas to Mexican American Catholic parents Enrique Longoria Jr. and Ella Eva Mireles. The youngest of their four daughters, she has three older sisters Elizabeth, Emily and Esmeralda. As a child, Longoria believed she was adopted because she was the only one of all her siblings to have dark features (skin tone and eye color). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. During this time she won the title of "Miss Corpus Christi, USA" in 1998. After completing college, she entered a talent contest which would lead her to Los Angeles, shortly after she was spotted and signed by a theatrical agent. Career Longoria landed her first television role in 2000, guest starring in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. It was a humble beginning, but there would soon be more work. Another guest appearance in General Hospital the same year preceded her big break in popular American soap The Young and the Restless, in which she played psychotic Isabella Braña Williams from 2001 to 2003 and she was listed in People en Español’s "Most Beautiful People" for 2003. After leaving Y&R, she was seen on the now-canceled Dragnet. Although it lasted only two seasons, the show gave Longoria another leading star credit to her name. Following Dragnet, she starred in two ill-fated productions - Señorita Justice - a poorly received Direct-to-video film and a TV Movie titled The Dead Will Tell. Longoria on the cover of Maxim, 2005 Longoria was about to land a role that would elevate her to the A-List. In 2004, she starred as adulteress Gabrielle Solis in the worldwide break-out ABC hit Desperate Housewives. As the show became an overnight sensation, Longoria's career was well and truly launched. She caused a stir at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami when she appeared in a one-piece bathing suit to introduce Mariah Carey's performance, and joked that she “wasn’t going to let a little hurricane keep me from wearing a bathing suit.”. She also became the face of L'Oreal internationally and signed a rumoured 6-figure deal to appear in the company's print and television ads. Despite her success, she was snubbed at the 2005 Emmy Awards when she was the only member of the Desperate Housewives cast not be awarded a nomination. She satirized Housewives internal drama when she appeared on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show, being interviewed from her supposedly-relegated-to worst seats in the house. Shortly after her debut on Desperate Housewives, Longoria starred in a poorly received Direct-to-video film titled Carlita's Secret for which she was also co-producer. In 2005, she was finally rewarded for her performance as Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives when she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy along with her co-stars. She also stars opposite Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland in the 2006 thriller The Sentinel, which is her first major role in a Theatrical Movie (both Douglas and Sutherland noted that much to their surprise, Eva whipped both of them in gun practice). Longoria continues to be included in lists of Hollywood's Most Beautiful, and was listed as #1 in Maxim Magazine's Hottest Female Stars of 2005 and 2006, becoming the first woman to top the list in two consecutive years. On her interview with Ryan Seacrest on "The Interview with Ryan Seacrest" on E! she has stated: "I don't want to be on 7th Heaven -- on for 20 years and no one's really watching and it's hanging on by a thread." She has stated multiple times that she will not renew her Desperate Housewives contract once it is up. She has set her sights on the film industry. In May 2006 Maxim magazine named Longoria number 1 on the Hot 100 list for 2006. Personal life Longoria with boyfriend Tony Parker in 2006 Longoria was married to General Hospital star Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004, and as such, was also credited as Eva Longoria Christopher. Longoria has been romantically linked to Screen Actors Guild president Sid Laura Horowitz, successful writer Milan Gracanin, ex-*NSYNC member JC Chasez, and Life As We Know It star, Sean Faris (although both Faris and Longoria deny any romantic link). Although some have reported her height as 5'2", she is in fact 5'1".[1] Longoria spoke candidly about her affection for vibrators in an interview that Rolling Stone magazine published December 15, 2004. As a result, readers started sending sex toys to Longoria (she gave them to friends as gifts). Her employer ABC asked Longoria to stop mentioning the word vibrator in interviews.[1] Presently, she is dating NBA basketball star Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs. Reports said Longoria claimed she’s had to teach Tony Parker lots of tricks in the bedroom because he was so inexperienced when he met her. "I’m the experienced one. I’m the teacher, especially about love. He’s always telling me he’s never met anyone who loves the way I do, wholly, freely and unconditionally."[2]. Longoria later went on to refute this comment to Extra, insisting she was horribly misquoted and she is the more naive lover of the two. She told tv show Extra, "When the lights are out, he's the teacher and I'm the student." (quote from imdb news on EL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0519456/news ). On December 24, 2005, a car driven by Parker was cited for impeding traffic. Longoria, who was a passenger, allegedly began verbally abusing the officer by yelling, "He's just a Mexican bike cop. He only wants your autograph." She later denied the allegation, saying through her publicist, "I never made any sort of racial slurs, let alone made any comments about the officer being Mexican, as a Mexican myself. "[3] She is a Catholic and jokingly mentioned about how uneasy it made her feel in an episode of Desperate Housewives when her character attacked a nun. She also has mentioned in the past that her grandmother at first dissapproved of the fact that her character was having an adulterous affair with a 16 year old. Filmography On Desperate Housewives with Ricardo Chavira. (2006) Longoria with the cast of Harsh Times Carlita's Secret starring and co-produced by Longoria (2004) Year Title 2007 Foodfight! as the voice of Lady X (yet to be released) 2006 The Sentinel as Jill Marin (released Friday 21st April 2006) 2005 Harsh Times as Sylvia Hustler's Instinct as Vanessa Santos Television Specials The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards MTV Video Music Awards 2005 as a Presenter The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards as a Co-Presenter 2004 Carlita's Secret as Carlita also credited as the co-producer for this film Television Series Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle Solis Television Movies The Dead Will Tell as Jeanie Direct to Video Señorita Justice 2003 Television Series The Talent Agency as the Host Dragnet as Det. Gloria Duran Direct to Video Hot Tamales Live: Spicy, Hot and Hilarious also credited as a producer for this film Snitch'd as Gabby 2001 Television Series The Young and the Restless (1973) as Isabella Braña Williams (from 2001 until 2003) credited as Eva Longoria Chris Personal quotes "I grew up as an ugly duckling. They used to call me prieta fea (ugly dark one), because I was the only one of my family's four girls with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. Growing up I was the ugly one, because I was the odd one." "As soon as I read the script I knew it was pretty special. The creator of the show asked what I thought of the writing as a whole. I told him I had no idea because I'd only read my part. He laughed and told me I'd got the job. He thought my answer was completely Gabrielle" (On her role in Desperate Housewives) "I didn't really blossom until my mid teens and by that time I had to work on my personality to make people like me. I found it easy to make people laugh and I was always pretty popular" "I don't agree with all the boundaries we put on everything. Women are forever discounting men for all sorts of silly reasons - too old, too young, wrong haircut. Give the guy a chance and he may surprise you. I've definitely been pleasantly surprised by my choices and I've always had plenty of choice." References ^ Eva Longoria. Celebheights.com. Retrieved on 14 June 2006. External links Official website IMDb Eva Longoria profile Eva's Family Tree Eva's Video Search Term: "Eva_Longoria" Categories: 1975 births | American television actors | American film actors | American soap opera actors | Beauty pageant contestants | Desperate Housewives | Living people | Mexican American actors | People from Texas | People from Corpus Christi, Texas | Roman Catholic entertainers