Issue Date: April 9, 2006
Desperate no more
Has Eva Longoria outgrown her TV persona? Next up, Wisteria Lane's sexiest housewife hits the big screen as a pistol-packing G-woman in "The Sentinel."
By Michele Hatty
One of the first things you notice about Eva Longoria, besides her beauty, is her ability to command attention.
She commands it from her friends. "I'm the party planner, the social calendar girl, the activities director," she cheerfully confirms. "Nothing goes on without me knowing."
She commands it from her parents and her three older sisters. "I'm the baby. They all worry about me; they all take care of me. Even though I am the famous one or the rich one, I'll always be the little one," she says.
And, now that she's a Big Star, she commands it from most everyone else. At the moment, the diminutive actress -- she's just 5-foot-2 -- is being fussed over by a makeup artist and two hairstylists, all of whom are trying to transform her from the vampy big-haired vixen she portrayed in a just-finished photo shoot into the demure, only-slightly-less-big-haired ingénue look she favors when out in public. Meanwhile, Longoria's publicist is popping in and out with the latest on the actress's many media bookings. And in the midst of the chaos, she's also holding court in this interview.
"It's always like this," Longoria, 31, says blithely, peering out with one eye as her makeup artist deftly applies false lashes to the other. "My schedule is incredibly tight, so we do what we have to do."
Less than two years ago, this sort of full court press would have been unnecessary for the Texas-born Mexican-American. She was just another actress trying to make it in a tough business. But then she landed the role of a lifetime: manipulative, coquettish ex-model Gabrielle Solis on ABC's hit dramedy "Desperate Housewives" (Sundays, 9 p.m. ET).
Now, the woman who is likely Wisteria Lane's most overbooked resident attracts admirers around the world. She seems to like the attention: Today alone, she sat for three glitzy photo shoots and spent 15 minutes doing an interview with one of the celebrity gossip shows while in full "glamazon" mode.
For her next act, Longoria wants to add "movie star" to her résumé. Her new film, a political thriller called "The Sentinel," opens April 21. In it, she plays a pistol-packing secret service agent opposite Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas.
Wielding a weapon was easy for the actress, who grew up hunting with her father in South Texas. "I'm a tomboy. I love to shoot guns!" she gushes.
Her marksmanship impressed her co-stars. "We did a series of target shooting with live ammunition," Douglas says. "Eva is an unbelievable shot. She shot better than 90% of the police officers out there."
She enjoyed embodying her no-nonsense Sentinel character: "She's no one's love interest. She wears a suit the whole time, so she's not in lingerie. She's never kissing anybody."
Landing "The Sentinel" (and the part of a lawyer in the dark indie "Harsh Times," due in August) proves she has come a long way since the days when her highest profile gig was a small role on The Young and the Restless.
Longoria, who graduated from Texas A&M-Kingsville before heading to Hollywood, also is using her newfound fame to spotlight issues within the Latino community, such as immigration. "I work a lot with the United Farm Workers and the labor unions," she says. "You come to our country to do a job for less than minimum wage with no health insurance and no recognition as a citizen, and I'm going to tell you that you have to learn English? It's important to hold on to something."
Looking into the huge mirror in front of her, the actress shakes her head in disgust and simultaneously assesses the progress her hairstylists are making with the light brown extensions they are adding to her dark brown locks. Just then, her tiny pink cellphone rings. It's her personal assistant, calling to relay a message from legendary designer Bob Mackie.
After she clicks the phone shut, Longoria, clad in a casual baby-blue tracksuit, smiles. "I never thought that I would be dressed by Bob Mackie, that he'd be sketching ideas for me. I remember (the 1970s TV show) "Sonny & Cher," being in awe of the outfits and going," -- she affects a twangy "Texican" accent -- " 'I hope one day I can make myself one like that!' "
No need to get out the sewing machine. These days, designers vie to dress her, and she favors gowns that grab the spotlight: a skin-hugging, scarlet-red, backless Mackie gown at this year's Golden Globes and a lavender, shoulder-baring Badgley Mischka number for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. ("I'm lucky: I have a job where I get to go to prom at least 20 times a year!" she says.) She has graced scads of magazine covers, from "Esquire" to "Cosmopolitan," and iams the face of such high-profile clients as L'Oreal, for whom she plugs cosmetics and hair-care products.
And perhaps because image is everything in show business, she seems intent on preserving both her own sex appeal and that of her on-screen alter ego.
Reveals "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry: "I get calls from the other actresses all the time about the scripts. One's concerned about this scene. One doesn't like this joke. One asks for something to be rewritten here. Eva Longoria has never called to complain once about a script. The only thing she ever said to me is that she didn't want to be pregnant. I think it was because she wanted to be able to wear glamorous clothes." Consequently, Cherry had her character suffer a miscarriage early in Season 2, causing Gabrielle and her husband, Carlos, to give adoption a try.
Longoria's own personal life is closely watched by the tabloids. Rebounding from a brief marriage to soap star Tyler Christopher, the actress was linked to a string of suitors, including 'NSync-er JC Chasez. Then she met San Antonio Spurs basketball standout Tony Parker, 23; they've dated for a year.
Now, Longoria divides her time between L.A., where "Housewives" is filmed, and Texas, to be closer to her family and her honey. "I work in L.A.," she says. "But I live in Texas."
During the past NBA season, the actress was frequently spotted at her beau's games, and she often rode on the team's plane along with the other players' families. "My friends say I treat a plane like a car," she says with a rueful laugh. "But when you're in love, you'll do anything, and that's what it takes."
Longoria's stylists finally finish her transformation. It's been almost an hour, and when they step aside, she gazes intently in the mirror. Her appearance is, no surprise, flawless. She flips her hair back and forth dramatically, leans in close to examine her makeup, and then sits back, noticeably satisfied. Air kisses and thank-yous abound.
Her next appointment awaits. But before she rushes to her waiting town car, the most high-profile Latina in Hollywood pauses to make one last observation about the shift in perceptions her role on "Desperate Housewives" symbolizes: "I play the most affluent character on our street, and I just happen to be Latin. Obviously, things have changed."
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Eva Makes A Difference
Long before Eva Longoria moved to Wisteria Lane, she began volunteering with Padres Contra el Cancer (Parents Against Cancer), a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles that for two decades has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latino children with cancer and their families. Last year, she signed on as the group's first national spokesperson.
The five-year survival rate for children with cancer is 80%, but Latino kids have the highest mortality rate. "Latino parents need to have the resources and the language skills to combat it," Longoria says. "Cancer is hard enough to deal with as it is. Imagine doing it in another language. Padres provides these families information and support in their own language. It makes a huge difference."
The actress visits young, hospital-bound cancer patients at least once a month and has formed special bonds with many of them: "I'm affected every day by those kids. And I'm close to many of the families."
Find out how you can help at iamhope.org.
Cover and cover story photographs by Robert Sebree for USA WEEKEND
Hair by Ken Paves, Style Management; makeup by Elan Bongiorno, Celestine; styling by Brian Primeaux, Exclusive ArtistsCover clothing: Monique Lhuillier; jewelry: Erica Courtney; clothing inside: dress by Escada; shoes: Stuart Weitzman
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