Eva Longoria on her Ed Sheeran obsession, weeping at Moonlight and going wild for Bear Grylls
The Decline and Fall star says she wouldn’t mind a stint on The Island
I’m imagining a gigantic TV in your Hollywood home...
Oh, I have a theatre in my LA house, so we usually watch TV shows in there. Just normal theatre-style, big couches, big screen and really dark. We always have popcorn. My girlfriends and I watch TV shows in there, and I watch things there with my husband [Mexican media mogul José Bastón]. If we’re in our house in Mexico City, my husband and I watch series on TV in bed.
What shows do you watch in your cinema?
I love Veep, I loved Downton Abbey and binge-watched all of that. And Game of Thrones. Who doesn’t love Game of Thrones?
As an American, do you find Downton Abbey a funny insight into the British past?
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I didn’t find it strange because I feel like British TV shows and movies always do that period so it’s not like we hadn’t seen that bit of history before. What I fell in love with was the characters – I loved Mary and Matthew. Oh my God!
Presumably, just like the Crawley family, you could have staff to make meals for you...
I cook a lot. My favourite thing is to stay home. I have three stepkids [Baston’s children] and they don’t even know what the TV is because they’re on their iPads, their computer, their phones. When we turn on the TV, it’s kind of foreign. The kids are a 21-year-old and 13-year-old twins so the first time I heard the phrase “YouTube star” was through my stepchildren.
Are you strict about how much time they spend online?
Not really but I think limiting time on devices is good for all children. If not, you can get stuck down a rabbit hole. Even I get stuck down the rabbit hole of Instagram.
Anything on TV make you cry?
The movie Moonlight made me cry. Jeez, that was tough. I mostly watch comedy – I love to laugh.
Desperate Housewives was full of black humour. Do your stepkids catch snippets of it on TV?
My nieces – they’re 13 and 15 – have started to watch it and my sister called me and said, “Bethany and Briella are watching Desperate Housewives,” and I said, “Whaaat?” I got a little nervous about them watching but they love it. It’s still super relevant and super funny.
Have you met any real-life gardeners as attractive as John, the gardener your character had an affair with?
God no! I don’t think any gardener exists like John Rowland.
Have you ever thought about going on a reality show?
One of those adventure shows with Bear Grylls where you’re out in the wilderness and you’ve got to survive. I’m not a fan of spiders and snakes, but I grew up on a ranch, so I’m not a squealy person when it comes to bugs and the outdoors. I wouldn’t go on it but I like The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – those make me laugh.
Are you reading anything good?
I’m reading a book about the US Constitution. People are like, “Why are you reading that?” and I’m like, “It’s so fascinating.” Other people should really read it... I love memoirs, reports and academic studies, too. Facts, I love them.
What’s your ideal music?
I’m obsessed with Ed Sheeran right now. I mean, who isn’t? I’m OBSESSED, like when my husband proposed to me, he filmed it and that video is set to the Ed Sheeran song Thinking out Loud. You know the one: “And darling, I will be loving you till we’re 70... maybe we found love right where we are...” Obsessed.
Eva Longoria stars in Decline and Fall which ends on Friday 14th April at 9pm on BBC1
