Mexican-American actor, producer, and director Eva Longoria has issued a stark warning about the state of diversity in Hollywood, stating that representation for the Latinx community is actively getting worse.
A Disturbing Backward Trend
In a candid new interview with The Sunday Times, the Desperate Housewives star expressed her profound disappointment with the industry's direction. Longoria revealed that the statistical representation of Latinx people in television and film has alarmingly decreased in recent years. Five years ago, the community constituted approximately 7 percent of on-screen and behind-the-camera roles. That figure has now plummeted to just 4 percent. She stated unequivocally that the industry is going in the wrong direction when it comes to inclusive representation.
Creating Opportunities from Behind the Camera
Longoria, 50, who made her directorial debut in 2023 with the biopic Flamin' Hot, explained that her motivation for moving into production and direction was deeply personal. Her primary drive is to create opportunities for women and for people from my community. Acknowledging the scale of the challenge, the Emmy-nominated multihyphenate added, There is definitely a lot of work to be done. I'm trying to do my part.
Her commitment continues with her next project, directing the upcoming Netflix comedy The Fifth Wheel, which stars Kim Kardashian.
Family as the Central Focus
Beyond her professional endeavours, Longoria opened up about her life at home with her husband, José Bastón, whom she married in 2016. She described Bastón as being totally supportive of my dreams and my goals. The couple share a six-year-old son, Santiago Enrique, and Longoria is also a stepmother to Bastón's three children from a previous relationship.
Reflecting on becoming a mother at 43, Longoria believes the timing was perfect. You have so much more wisdom and patience when you become a mother in your forties, she told the publication. She explained that having spent forty years focusing on her career and travels, she now considers her family her absolute priority. Any new professional commitment must be something she will genuinely enjoy and involve people she wants to work with, as it takes precious time away from her family.
