Actress and political activist Eva Longoria won praise for her hosting abilities on the first night of the Democratic National Convention last night.
Longoria shot to fame across America when she portrayed Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives for all eight seasons of the show.
In the opening speech of the convention, Eva walked on stage and introduced the theme for the next few days, which she described as “Uniting America.”
“Every four years, we come together to reform our democracy. This year, we’ve come to save it. It’s going to take all of us,” she said. “The past four years have left us, as a nation, diminished and divided.”
Longoria received plenty of praise for her hosting abilities but, many fans have also expressed surprise that she is dabbling in politics. And many politicos have wondered who exactly is Eva Longorio?
Who is Eva Longorio?
Longoria, as well as finding fame with Desperate Housewives, is also a director, producer, businesswoman, and a dedicated political activist.
The 44-year-old was born in the Mexican-American community in Corpus Christi, Texas, and has described her upbringing as ‘Texican.’ However, she later adopted San Antonio as her second home after marrying Spurs player Tony Parker.
In an interview with Forbes, Eva explained that her childhood was full of contrasts, while she lived in a traditional Mexican neighborhood she also went to fancy schools where the other kids had a more Waspish upbringing. She says her family upbringing gave her an interest in politics and philanthropy.
While she was playing the role of the filthy rich and sex-crazed Gaby between 2004 and 2012, Eva was also studying for her masters and was writing a thesis on the need for more Latinas in careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) in the US.
Eva Longoria: Actress and political activist
She is co-founder of the Latino Victory Fund, which aims to champion Latino candidates for public office. And speaking at the DNC was not a new experience for Longoria, she made speeches at the 2012 and 2016 Democratic conventions as well.
Longoria lives in Beverley Hills with her third husband, Mexican media mogul José Bastón and their one-year-old son, Santiago.
Her television acting career began with a part in Beverly Hills 90210 and then saw her appear on Saturday Night Live, Mother Up!, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Empire. She has also made plenty of appearances on the late-night talk show circuit.
While acting has been important for Longoria and it has proved to be a fruitful pursuit for her, she says her true passion lies in the political sphere, particularly when it comes to aiding Latina women into more successful positions.