Eva Longoria: ‘People are still discovering Desperate Housewives. Thematically, it’s timeless’

Actor, producer, director and activist Eva Longoria, 49, was born in Texas to Tejano parents. She’s best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis in hit 00s drama Desperate Housewives. Longoria has a charity, Eva’s Heroes, which supports young adults with developmental disabilities and a foundation that aims to improve the Latina education gap and Latino poverty. She now stars in Spanish- and English-language comedy thriller series Land of Women as a New York socialite on the run to her mother’s home town in rural Spain.

Land of Women is your first leading TV role for nearly a decade. What tempted you back?
I’ve been directing and needed something special to lure me out from behind the camera. A lot of TV is so depressing. It’s always the end of the world or some dystopian future where the government’s collapsed – and that’s a little too close to home. I wanted escapism and fun. Land of Women is adapted from this great novel by Sandra Barneda about three generations of women in the Spanish wine country. Nobody needed to twist my arm to shoot there. Female storytelling is so important. The fact that there are so many Latinos working on this project makes me proud, too.

How was relocating to Catalonia?
We filmed in the north-east corner of Spain, outside Figueres, and it was just stunning. Those beautiful vineyards you see in the show are real. I stayed in a tiny medieval village called Peralada. A rooster woke me every morning and I’d walk to the only coffee shop in town. I spend the rest of my time between LA and Mexico City; it was bliss to be in nature and quiet.

Your character Gala is a wine expert. Are you?
I always say that if I wasn’t an actor, I’d be a sommelier. I’m obsessed with grapes, regions, barrels and techniques. I’m especially fascinated by old-world wines. I’m very similar to Gala in that we’re both wine snobs.

Your mother is played by Carmen Maura, a veteran of Pedro Almodóvar’s films. Did you learn much from her?
I was both excited and terrified that Carmen was going to play my mom. She’s such a legend, and it was extra intimidating to do comedy with her because I’m not a native Spanish speaker. But she was so supportive. Luckily, I play the American abroad, which is a bit more forgiving. Every time I messed up a word, she’d be like: “Keep it in, it’s much funnier!”

Has it been pleasing to see the rise of Spanish-language TV and films with anglophone audiences?
Nowadays, with streaming, you have to cater to a global audience. Look at the past couple of years. Among the top shows have been Squid Game, Dix Pour Cent [AKA Call My Agent!] and La Casa de Papel [Money Heist]. Subtitles used to be a barrier but now it’s a non-issue. People just want good TV.

Your daughter in Land of Women is played by teenage trans actor Victoria Bazúa. Did she add an extra dimension?
She bought an amazing perspective. We found Victoria from a casting tape. I was blown away by her old soul. You’ve never met somebody more confident and secure in who she is. She was 16 during shooting and it was her first ever acting gig, but you’d never notice. It was great to have her opinion on the scripts because we wanted to get it right, not only for Victoria but for her community.

What was it like having an English husband in James Purefoy?
He’s a friend, so I called him and said: “James, will you come and be my horrible, horrible husband?” He’s a fellow wine connoisseur, which helped seal the deal. We had a lot of fun and he introduced me to negronis.

You’re also friends with the Beckhams and godparent to their daughter, Harper. What sort of godmother are you?
I’m like a crazy aunt that spoils her and supports her in anything she wants to do. She’s the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet.

Was Desperate Housewives life-changing for you?
Completely. It was such a phenomenon. When it came out, the first place outside the US that I went was London. I arrived at my hotel and there were crowds outside. I was like: “Who’s here? Is it a famous person like Bono or Madonna?” The driver looked at me and was like: “They’re here for you!” I went to China and people screamed my name. I was like: “How do they know who I am?” I had no idea about the show’s global reach. Twenty years since it first aired, people are still discovering it. Thematically, it’s timeless. The ideas that we dealt with – family, friendship, motherhood, divorce, love – are universal.

Has Hollywood diversity improved over the course of your career?
We still have so far to go. Both Latinos and women are still severely under-represented. Statistically, we’re actually going in the wrong direction. In the US, Latinos are 20% of the population but 5% in TV and film. Yet we’re the biggest ticket-buyers at the movies and one of the biggest TV audiences. We’ve got to work on the disparity between who’s consuming the content and who’s creating it. There is no greater influence than media. Before you get policy change or societal change, you have to change the culture. The easiest way to win hearts and minds is through storytelling. Often the perception is that Hollywood’s pretty progressive and doing great when it comes to diversity. I’m like: “Hmm, not really!”

It’s often said that good roles are rare for women over 40. Are you finding that?
It’s unfortunate that we have an expiration date as women in this world but personally, I’m the busiest I’ve ever been. I remember talking to Salma Hayek too and she said: “My career took off at 50.” Meryl Street says she feels like her career started at 40. I think there’s a lot more opportunity for women of a certain age now. Women who have more to say and more lived experience have more to bring to the table.

Talking of Meryl Streep, you both appear in the forthcoming fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. How was working with your “cousin”?
My “cousin” Meryl and I had so much fun! We both did our DNA and discovered we share an ancestor in the last 50 years, so we call each other cousin. She’s such a blast. Being on that set was surreal. As well as those comedy giants Steve Martin and Martin Short, in this season there’s Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Melissa McCarthy, Meryl Streep and Molly Shannon. There were days when I’d look around and pinch myself. I never would’ve thought I could be in a room with all these amazing comedians.

What have you made of the US presidential race so far?
So much is at stake. We’re not voting for candidates – we’re voting for democracy. There’s lots to lose, so it’s a tense and anxious time. We need to pay close attention and be wary of misinformation, which is rampant. There’s so much happening globally. Look what just happened in France and in the European parliament. Mexico just elected its first female president. At least you guys have got it right with your election. Let’s hope we can too.

You have several degrees. Are you a frustrated academic?
I am. I could see myself staying in academia because I’m so curious and there’s so much I want to learn. I’m a voracious reader of nonfiction, white papers and studies. In a parallel universe, I wouldn’t be a professor or teacher, I’d just be a student for ever.

What was the last great book you read?
From Generosity to Justice by Darren Walker, the head of the Ford Foundation. My own charity got a grant from Jeff Bezos, and the book is about how charities can create sustainable change. We want to bend towards justice, not get stuck in a cycle of giving away money. Philanthropy is meant to catch people who fall through the cracks. I want to close those cracks and focus on systemic change.

You seem to be spinning lots of plates. What do you do to unwind?
Cooking is very therapeutic for me. I can get off a plane from Europe and cook a 10-course meal. My husband thinks I’m crazy. He’s like: “Don’t you want to lie down? Don’t you want to relax?” I’m like: “I am relaxed!”

• Land of Women is now streaming on Apple TV+