Eva Longoria may be one of the more politically active celebrities, but she has ruled out running for office one day.
one in new interview Together cbs sunday morningThe actress, producer and director rejected the idea of a political run.
“Here’s the thing: The reality is you don’t have to be a politician to be political,” said the native Texan, who co-founded the political action committee Latino Victory Project and campaigned for Joe Biden and Barack Obama during the presidency. Did. told CBS’s Lee Cowan. “And I think that’s the biggest myth. People go, ‘You should run for office so you can make a difference.’ I’m making a difference.”
The 47-year-old star, who gave a rousing speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, says she has received pushback for her political activism. But Longoria learned quickly as one of the few Latina stars in the industry during her successful role on ABC desperate Housewives, that he had a responsibility to speak. In fact, she earned her master’s degree in Chicano Studies in 2013 after taking night school classes while starring in the hit show.
“I realized quickly that I was going to have a platform, or a voice,” she shared. “my mentor, [civil rights activist] Dolores Huerta, she’s the one who actually told me this. She said, ‘One day, you will have a voice, so you better have something to say.'”
Longoria, who shares a 4-year-old son with husband José “Pepe” Bastón, also opened up about cultural identity and dividing her time between the US and Mexico.
“When I’m in the United States, [I hear]’Oh, you’re Mexican,’ she said. “And when I go to Mexico, they go, ‘Oh, American.’ i am like wait? Well yes, I am both. I’m 100% Mexican and 100% American at the same time.”
In her new role as a feature film director, Longoria is also hoping to make some changes. She makes sure to cast Latino actors and hire Latino staff, such as on her upcoming film, Flamin’ Hot. The film is based on the story of Richard Montañez, a Mexican-American factory worker at Frito-Lay who claims that his original recipe was used to make Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It was a project that Longoria felt she was made to tackle.
“I felt in my bones that no one else could direct this film,” she explained. Representing his community on both sides of the camera was also an important component of his mission.
“Latinos are 23% of box office ticket sales. Do I think we should have more than 5% in the characters in the movie? Yes,” she said. “Is it hopeless? Absolutely.”