All About Eva (And Her No A**Hole Policy)

Eva Longoria is a girls’ girl. Her body of work includes umpteen projects with other women, starting with the iconic Desperate Housewives (reboot when?) and most recently with Land of Women, her multigenerational comedy thriller for Apple+. Then there are the famous friendships, with people like Victoria Beckham and Jessica Alba. And her charitable organization, the Eva Longoria Foundation, focuses on opportunities for Latinas. 

“I have three sisters, my mother’s still my inspiration and role model today. I had nine aunts who were independent, strong, educated, intelligent women, and so I never had to look far to see the woman I wanted to be in the world,” she explains on a Zoom call from Paris, where she’s representing L’Oréal at the brand’s Defilé fashion show (themed around liberty, equality, sisterhood). Her closest friendships date back 30 years. “I love being around women, supporting women, applauding women. I always tell young people … find that sisterhood very early because you’re going to need these ladies around you for the rest of your life.”

She’s also known her other sisterhood, fellow L’Oréal ambassadors like Jane Fonda, Aishwarya Rai and Cindy Bruna, for many years—she started working with the brand in 2005. How has her attitude to beauty changed over that time, and since she turned 50 in March? “Fifty allows you to not care about what people think and also to not live by beauty standards set by society or someone else,” she says. “You let go of people’s validation and approval and you really just do what you like to do.” 

These days, what she likes to do is less. “I wear less makeup. I do less skincare. I do less, you know, planning out outfits—I just want to be comfortable. I want it to be easy. I want it to be effective. If it’s skincare, I don’t want 28 steps; I want two steps that are just as effective. It’s about simplicity for me.” That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy getting glam. “When I was on Desperate Housewives it was photo shoots every day, all day, every weekend. I was so tired of being photographed. I was tired of putting on lipstick. I was tired of trying on clothes; I can’t wear one more gown,” she says. “And now that that frenzy is passed, now I get to savour the moment when I do get to do it—like Defilé or a movie premiere; it’s a little more spaced out and calm, and that makes me appreciate it more and have fun with it.”

These days Longoria’s highly selective and purposeful about her work. “I’d rather work with people I love and know than take a chance on a possible asshole,” she says. “I also like meeting new people and working with new people, but I’m very selective and I produce with purpose and direct with purpose. But [I’m always thinking] what am I saying? What is the purpose of a movie like this? What am I going to contribute to culture by doing this? The bars are pretty high.”

How was turning 50 for her? Far easier than turning 40. “I really felt like I had more of a crisis at 40 for some reason. I was … reflecting and thinking, what does this mean? And 50 was so easy. I don’t know if it’s because I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m in the best moment of my career. I’m a mother to a beautiful boy. Forty was a little chaotic, but 50 was a breeze. And I think 60 is going to be a breeze. I’m so excited about my 50s and I think it’s going to be one of the greatest decades of my life.” —Aileen Lalor