Eva Longoria is disappointed by Hollywood’s lack of diversity, particularly in opportunities available for female Latin-American directors.
The Mexican-American multihyphenate, 50, who rose to fame on the hit drama Desperate Housewives, has increased her presence behind the camera in recent years as a producer and director. She made her directorial debut in 2023 with Flamin’ Hot, a biopic about disputed Hot Cheetos inventor Richard Montanez.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Longoria explained that her biggest motivation for getting behind the camera was to “create opportunities for women and for people from my community.”
“There is definitely a lot of work to be done. I’m trying to do my part,” she added.
“We’re severely underrepresented in TV and film and it’s getting worse,” she continued. “Five years ago we [made up], like, 7 percent of TV and film and now we’re 4 percent. It’s actually going in the wrong direction.”
Longoria at the 2024 annual Dia De Muertos Gala (Getty Images)
The Emmy-nominated actor is currently working on her next directing project: The Fifth Wheel, an upcoming Netflix comedy starring Kim Kardashian.
“I’m busy and my career is very important to me, but I’m really fortunate that I met my match in that,” Longoria said of her husband, José Bastón. He’s totally supportive of my dreams and my goals and what I want to get done.”
The couple, who tied the knot in 2016, share a six-year-old son, Santiago Enrique. Longoria is also a stepmother to Bastón’s three children from a previous relationship.
Longoria was 43 when she gave birth to her son. Regarding her decision to become a mother in her 40s, she told the outlet that it was perfect timing.
“You have so much more wisdom and patience when you become a mother in your forties,” she said. “It was all about me for so long. Forty years of me was enough time, so I was really blessed to have my child later in life because I had traveled, I’d done everything I needed to do for my career. Now everything I do is just icing on the cake and I get to do that with my son.”
She added that her family is her priority. “So if I’m saying yes to something and it’s taking time away from them, it’s got to be something I’m really going to enjoy and people I really want to work with,” Longoria said.
