Eva Longoria's Unexpected Confession About Her 'Desperate Housewives' Look
Eva Longoria recently celebrated her 50th birthday and is starring in the new CNN series, Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain. Eva will explore cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, socialize with locals, and embrace the traditional foods and culture. Before this newest gig, Eva's stomping ground was 4349 Wisteria Lane as the iconic fashion maven and chronic shopper, Gabrielle Solis—a role that made her a fan favorite.
The actress reflected on some of her most iconic career moments with PEOPLE. In her interview, The Desperate Housewife broke down a photo from each decade of her life. Naturally, Eva's role as Gabrielle Solis represented her 20s. Not only was this her star-making role, but she also revealed where her character's iconic look came from.
The Desperate Housewife has shared many secrets over the years, and here are some confessions you may not know.
Eva Longoria Changed Her Hair To Become Gabrielle Solice
Eva revealed that she got highlights for her role as Gabby.
"I had jet black hair when I was on The Young and The Restless, and I got Desperate Housewives and they said, 'Your hair's too dense for camera,'" she told PEOPLE. "They made me highlight it and I was freaking out because I'd never had highlights in my life."
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She Never Expected Desperate Housewives To Be Life-Changing
Eva reflected on shooting the pilot episode for Desperate Housewives and the impact it had on her life.
"I didn't know it was a big moment for me," she revealed. "We did this weird pilot I didn't think anybody would watch… I didn't think it was going to be an iconic day, but it turned out it was."
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She Thought Fans Would Dislike Gabrielle
As her character developed in the series, Eva reportedly thought fans would dislike Gabrielle's character considering her conceded and spoiled nature. To the contrary, the diva was and is a true fan favorite. She's witty, devilish, sneaky, and a total handful for husband Carlos. She brought much humor and personality to the neighborhood.
Aside from her selfishness, fans loved Gabby for her ability to "spit it out and say it like it is." We love Eva because she seems to be so real and down to earth. Case and point? The A-lister loves and respects the glitz and glam of a red carpet, but relaxing in PJs at home sounds even better.
"Once the gown is decided, that's what dictates the hair and makeup," Eva shared with Town & Country. "I really love the process of a red carpet. I love getting dressed up in a gown, and the collaboration of the look, and looking at the photos. There's just so much artistry that goes into it. So I have such an appreciation for the red carpet. But would I rather be home in pajamas? Absolutely."
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She "Wasn't the Pretty One" Amongst Her Sisters
Unlike her blonde hair, hazel-eyed sisters, Eva had dark eyes and black hair.
"I wasn't the pretty one," she told PEOPLE. In fact, her family lovingly called her "la prieta fea," which means "the ugly dark one." She added, "I grew up as not the pretty one, so there was a conscious decision when I was young to be the funny one."
