Career

Career

Longoria with husband Tony Parker at the 2008 Emmy AwardsLongoria landed her first television role in 2000, guest-starring in an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. Another guest appearance in General Hospital the same year brought her big break on the popular American soap opera The Young and the Restless, in which she played psychotic Isabella Braña Williams from 2001 to 2003. People en Español listed her among its "Most Beautiful People" for 2003. After leaving The Young and the Restless, she was seen on the now-cancelled Dick Wolf revival of Dragnet. Although it lasted only two seasons, the show gave Longoria 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 television film titled The Dead Will Tell. In 2004, Longoria landed a role that elevated her to the A-List. She starred as adulteress Gabrielle Solis in the worldwide break-out ABC hit Desperate Housewives. As the show became an overnight sensation, Longoria's career was well and truly launched. But she has never considered her career to have jumped off so suddenly: "I think it’s funny when people say I’m an overnight sensation, because I’ve been working at it for 10 years."[6]

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 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. Even though neither Longoria nor any of the rest of the cast won, she was awarded the ALMA Award and named entertainer of the year. She also starred opposite Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland in the 2006 thriller The Sentinel, which was her first major role in a theatrical movie. In 2006 she played the character Sylvia in Harsh Times starring Freddy Rodriguez and Christian Bale.

Longoria continues to be included in lists of Hollywood's Most Beautiful and was listed #1 in Maxim's Hottest Female Stars of 2005 and 2006, becoming the first woman to top the list in two consecutive years. She was ranked #9 in the magazine's Hot 100 of 2007 list.[7] In honor of Maxim's 100th issue in 2006, Longoria was featured on a 75-by-110-foot vinyl mesh replica of its January 2005 cover located in the Las Vegas desert.[8] It has been rumored that she will play Janet Van Dyne aka The Wasp in the upcoming Avengers film due to the fact that she has been spotted reading core Avengers titles such as The New Avengers annual and Marvel Adventures: Avengers. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Also, she is being considered to portray Mariah Carey in an upcoming Broadway show which is about the American pop singer. The UK X Factor season 3 winner Leona Lewis is Carey's first choice. High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens and Longoria Parker are also being considered if Lewis isn't taking the job. [13]


Endorsements
In January 2007, Longoria was chosen to be the first face of Bebe Sport. She appeared in the Spring/Summer 2007 campaign, photographed by Greg Kadel. The actress also holds model contracts with L’Oreal and Hanes, New York & Co.[14]

She also has started a contract with Magnum Ice-Cream[15] and with L'Oréal.[16] She is also part of Microsoft's "I'm A PC" ad campaign.[17]

Personal life
Longoria was married to General Hospital star Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004.[18]

On November 30, 2006, she became engaged to Spurs point guard Tony Parker.[19] The couple were officially married on July 7, 2007, because French law requires couples who marry to make their vows official at a city hall. They had their lavish church wedding on July 7, 2007, in Paris.[20] Their marriage had its first ordeal when the French model Alexandra Paressant claimed to have had an affair with Parker.[21]

In 2008, Longoria opened a restaurant in Los Angeles called Beso, which translates to "kiss" in Spanish.[22]

Longoria owns a house in Los Angeles' Hollywood Dell neighborhood that she purchased in 2006 for $3.6 million.[23]

Longoria also owns a house in the Velano Country Club in Chino Hills, California.

Charity work
In 2006, Longoria founded Eva's Heroes, a charity which helps developmentally disabled children.[24] She is the national spokesperson for PADRES Contra El Cancer.[25] She signed shoes for the Spirit of Women Red Shoe Celebrity Auction. Longoria also supports the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Stroke Association, Project HOME and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[26]