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Eva Longoria has delivered some stunning performances and she’s always been an advocate for diversity in Hollywood. We all remember her fromDesperate Housewivesas Gabrielle Solis, her career-defining role. Since then, Longoria has proven herself to be a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.
However, her path to stardom wasn’t straightforward, and the reasons behind her frequent casting as Italian characters offer an intriguing look into Hollywood’s complicated relationship with race and representation. So, let’s look at why Longoria was cast as an Italian so many times!
Why Eva Longoria Played So Many Italian Characters in Hollywood
Eva Longoria’scasting in numerous roles as Italian characters raises questions about Hollywood’s limited perspective of Latino actors. The actress has Mexican-American roots, but her early career had a significant number of roles that did not feel authentic to her heritage, and she spoke about the same in an interview withVariety.
They would ask me to do a Spanish accent or speak in Spanish and I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t Latin enough or white enough to get roles. I played Italians a lot but it was only later in life that I learned Spanish.
This quote reveals the way her appearance, not her background, influenced the roles she was offered. It wasn’t until she reached a certain level in her career that she was able to take control of her narrative and demand roles that reflected her true identity as a Latina.
Eva Longoria’s Heritage and Her Journey to Learning Spanish
Longoria’s journey toward embracing her Mexican-American heritage and language is quite inspiring as she grew up in Texas, with parents who spoke Spanish. However, they did not teach her the language because they wanted to help her adapt to a new culture.
I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish. I am Mexican-American from Texas, my parents speak Spanish but were told not to teach us the language so we would assimilate and not have an accent.
This lack of connection to her cultural language only added to the struggles she faced in Hollywood. She was too Mexican to land the stereotypical American roles, yet not fluent enough in Spanish to meet the expectations of many Latino roles. But she did eventually learn Spanish, at the age of 38, which shows just how dedicated the actress was to mastering the language.
Moreover, Longoria is also raising her child to be bilingual, because she believes that“holding on to your language is very important culturally.”So it seems like life has finally come full circle for her, as she now has a deepened understanding of her roots and the role language plays in identity.
Sonika Kamble
Articles Published :1196
Sonika Kamble is an entertainment writer at Fandomwire, covering everything from timeless classics to newly released movies. With over 1000+ articles published, she delves into breakdowns, think pieces, speculations, and more.She enjoys connecting the dots and covering newfound angles about characters, scenes, and themes from movies directed by Scorsese, Fincher, Tarantino, Linklater, and other exceptional filmmakers.
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Eva Longoria
