Early life
Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Texas to Mexican American Catholic parents Enrique Longoria Jr. and Ella Eva Mireles,The youngest of their four daughters she has three older sisters Elizabeth, Emily and Esmeralda. As a child, Longoria believed she was adopted because she was the only one of all her siblings to have dark features (skin tone and eye color). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. During this time she won the title of "Miss Corpus Christi, USA" in 1998. After completing college, she entered a talent contest which would lead her to Los Angeles, shortly after she was spotted and signed by a theatrical agent.

Career
Longoria landed her first television role in 2000, guest starring in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. It was a humble beginning, but there would soon be more work. Another guest appearance in General Hospital the same year preceded her big break in popular American soap The Young and the Restless, in which she played psychotic Isabella Brana Williams from 2001 to 2003 and she was listed in People en Español’s "Most Beautiful People" for 2003. After leaving Y&R, she was seen on the now-canceled Dragnet. Although it lasted only two seasons, the show gave Logoria another leading star credit to her name. Following Dragnet, she starred in two ill-fated productions - Señorita Justice - a poorly received Direct-to-video film and a TV Movie titled The Dead Will Tell.


Longoria on the cover of Maxim, 2005Longoria was about to land a role that would elevate her to the A-List. In 2004, she starred as adulteress Gabrielle Solis in the worldwide break-out ABC hit Desperate Housewives. As the show became an overnight sensation, Logoria's career was well and truly launched. She caused a stir at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami when she appeared in a one-piece bathing suit to introduce Mariah Carey's performance, and joked that she “wasn’t going to let a little hurricane keep me from wearing a bathing suit.”. She also became the face of L'Oreal internationally and signed a rumoured 6-figure deal to appear in the company's print and television ads. Despite her success, she was snubbed at the 2005 Emmy Awards when she was the only member of the Desperate Housewives cast not be awarded a nomination. She satirized Housewives internal drama when she appeared on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show, being interviewed from her supposedly-relegated-to worst seats in the house.

Shortly after her debut on Desperate Housewives, Longoria starred in a poorly received Direct-to-video film titled Carlita's Secret for which she was also co-producer. In 2005, she was finally rewarded for her performance as Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives when she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy along with her co-stars. She also stars opposite Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland in the 2006 thriller The Sentinel, which is her first major role in a Theatrical Movie. Longoria continues to be included in lists of Hollywood's Most Beautiful, and was listed as #1 in Maxim Magazine's Hottest Female Stars of 2005 and 2006, becoming the first woman to top the list in two consecutive years.

On her interview with Ryan Seacrest on "The Interview with Ryan Seacrest" on E! she has stated: "I don't want to be on 7th Heaven -- on for 20 years and no one's really watching and it's hanging on by a thread." She has stated multiple times that she will not renew her Desperate Housewives contract once it is up. She has set her sights on the film industry.

In May 2006 Maxim magazine named Longoria number 1 on the Hot 100 list for 2006.

Personal life
Longoria with boyfriend Tony Parker in 2006Longoria was married to General Hospital star Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004, and as such, was also credited as Eva Longoria Christopher. Longoria has been romantically linked to Screen Actors Guild president Sid Laura Horowitz, successful writer Milan Gracanin, ex-*NSYNC member JC Chasez, and Life As We Know It star, Sean Faris (although both Faris and Longoria deny any romantic link). Although some have reported her height as 5'2", she is in fact 5'1".

Longoria spoke candidly about her affection for vibrators in an interview that Rolling Stone magazine published December 15, 2004. As a result, readers started sending sex toys to Longoria (she gave them to friends as gifts). Her employer ABC asked Longoria to stop mentioning the word vibrator in interviews.

Presently, she is dating NBA basketball star Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs. Reports said Longoria claimed she’s had to teach Tony Parker lots of tricks in the bedroom because he was so inexperienced when he met her. "I’m the experienced one. I’m the teacher, especially about love. He’s always telling me he’s never met anyone who loves the way I do, wholly, freely and unconditionally.". Longoria later went on to refute this comment to Extra, insisting she was horribly misquoted and she is the more naive lover of the two. She told tv show Extra, "When the lights are out, he's the teacher and I'm the student." (quote from imdb news on EL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0519456/news ).

On December 24, 2005, a car driven by Parker was cited for impeding traffic. Longoria, who was a passenger, allegedly began verbally abusing the officer by yelling, "He's just a Mexican bike cop. He only wants your autograph." She later denied the allegation, saying through her publicist, "I never made any sort of racial slurs, let alone made any comments about the officer being Mexican, as a Mexican myself. "