Far From Desperate: Eva Longoria Celebrity Profile

American actress, producer, and director Eva Longoria is one of TV’s most iconic faces - launched into superstardom with her portrayal of Gabrielle Solis on the phenomenally popular tv drama Desperate Housewives.

Born in Texas in 1975, Eva Longorias first brushes with stardom came from winning the Miss Corpus Christi beauty pageant, which lead to her winning a larger contest in Los Angeles. In the wake of this success the young actress decided to base herself in LA to pursue her show business career. After guest appearances in Beverly Hills, 90210, and General Hospital the actress received her first big break, joining the cast of daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, remaining in the show for two seasons until her character’s demise. In 2004 Eva Longoria would receive the role of a lifetime playing the bombshell with a dark scheming character - Gabrielle Solis on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. The show, centered around the dark underbelly of suburban America was a hit, and sent Longoria shooting to international fame. Plaudits rolled in with the actress winning the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy and the ALMA for Person of the Year in 2006. Her stunning looks earned her a place in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful list in 2005 and number 1 on Maxim’s annual Hot 100 list for two consecutive years. The heat from Desperate Housewives lead to a clamor of offers with actress appearing in a host of films; including Harsh Times in 2005 opposite Christian Bale, The Sentinel in 2006, and the Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller in 2007, amongst others. At the time of Desperate Housewives finale in 2012 Eva Longoria has established herself as one of the top paid tv stars in the world receiving $400,000 per episode.