Maybe you know an amazingly stylish woman who provokes surprised declarations of "and she's so smart" from new acquaintances. Frustrating and reductive, but not unfamiliar, right? For an actress, these stereotypes are even more ingrained: You can be seen as either the type who could testify before Congress or the kind who's into fashion and design. So Eva Longoria, who's taken seriously as both, is a real-life Hollywood unicorn.
More than a decade after she first charmed us playing Gabrielle Solis on megahit Desperate Housewives, the 41-year-old has added these lines to her résumé: director, cookbook author, documentary filmmaker, producer, home decor designer, political activist, and founder of a well-respected charity (The Eva Longoria Foundation). And since she clearly doesn't wear enough chic fedoras, she recently launched Eva Longoria for The Limited, a clothing line of sleek, office-friendly pieces. On the rare evening home, she's likely to be hunched over her sewing machine stitching up a dress for herself or making dinner for her new husband, José Bastón — another high achiever, who is president at Grupo Televisa, the largest Spanish-speaking media conglomerate in the world. That paradoxical mix of power player and domestic goddess is key to Eva's success, and her likability. "Whether through my foundation or the projects I choose to produce and direct, my life's work is about empowering women," says the Corpus Christi, TX, native. "Now with my fashion line, I get to satisfy my creative side while helping women feel strong and confident." Between flying back and forth to Great Britain to shoot a new BBC series, Decline and Fall, and putting the final touches on her holiday collection, Eva found time to chat with me about being a newlywed, finding "mature love," and why her glass is always half full. It's inspiring stuff. Read on.
On being eternally optimistic: "I remember losing auditions or being let go from a job and I'd say, 'That must mean there's something amazing ahead for me!' My friends would laugh and look at me like I was crazy. I have never, ever had a personal pity party."
How her mother inspired her ambitious work ethic: "I wanted to have a Quinceañera when I was 15 and my family didn't have the money, so I got a job at Wendy's and paid for it myself. I couldn't wait to get to work and make my own money. There was never any resentment, because I saw how hard my mother worked and all she did for my sister [with special needs], and I wanted to do whatever I could to help. We all did."
On knowing husband José Bastón was "the one" and why she took his last name: "Even before we got engaged, we just felt married. We called one another 'my husband' and 'my wife.' It didn't take either one of us very long to know that "this is the one." In my case, it only took 40 years to find him!
On changing her name to Eva Longoria Bastón: "I love him, I love his last name, and I love that tradition. It's a choice I made, but I realize it's not for everybody. I was thrilled to take his name."
On whether or not she'd ever become involved in politics: "I've thought about that a million times. I think the most powerful part of our democracy is being a citizen. Our society cannot function without citizens. Voting, civil disobedience, protesting can make our voices heard. There's more things you can do as a citizen to bring about change than as a politician. After some deliberation, I choose to hold on to that power rather than relinquish it. But I do have a great deal of respect for people who devote their lives to public service."
For more from Eva, pick up the December issue of Redbook on newsstands November 15.
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