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Say it.
Search this video
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Say it, do it, give yourself permission because that's the first step.
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Then you then you go into your plan of how to how to accomplish it, but the first step is just you know Verbalize it. Verbalize it. Visualize it.
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Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world thanks to each and every single one of you who come back every single week to listen and learn.
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And I know that you're dedicated to expanding your mind, to being a change maker in your life and the lives of others.
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And I know that you want to get behind causes, missions, and values that can help you find your purpose.
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And you know that it's my promise to you to try and find guests that I can learn from every single week, ask questions that I'm burning to ask and I know you're thinking about, and guests that really represent all of these things that we so need in the world.
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Today's guest is not going to disappoint at all.
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She's absolutely phenomenal.
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She's been using her platform for years as an activist to stand up for things she believes in, to make people's lives easier.
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And I'm let me tell you exactly who she is. Give me a few moments. So here we go.
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She's a Golden Globe nominated and SAG Award winning actress, producer, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and known for her work on Desperate Housewives.
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Eva Longoria is the producer of the highest-rated summertime drama series to debut in four years, Grand Hotel.
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As an activist and philanthropist, Eva Longoria continuously uses her star power to shine her light on important close causes close to her heart, creating opportunities for women and people of color through education and entrepreneurship, which I know is so important to so many of us.
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So here's something she said during an interview that I loved.
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She said, "I don't speak for the Latino community.
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I speak with and speak from that community."
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I absolutely love that, Eva.
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Eva, it's a joy to have you here.
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And we've just connected recently. Was that okay?
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I was sweating as you were reading it cuz it's so I don't know.
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It's so funny to hear your your life. This is your life.
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It is when you're humble and beautiful and amazing and and doing so much wonder with it. Thanks. And and it's all true.
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And and I like doing those introductions for my audience because I think sometimes we see such a small snapshot of people.
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Of who they who you think they are.
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Of who we think they are.
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We think they I call it the illusion. Ah, okay. Right.
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Yeah, you see a 3-minute interview with someone.
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You see them on a billboard. a red carpet.
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On a red carpet, and then you don't see the full picture.
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And I think this is what this is about. say that.
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I'm like, they go, "Oh my gosh, so great to meet you."
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I'm like, "Well, this is the illusion of me."
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You're like, "The no makeup and the no seven people behind the camera who took 4 hours to get me out the door.
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That's the Well, you share that a lot on social media. I do. We see that. We see that. I do.
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I pull the curtain back so people know sometimes that's not attainable.
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Because do you have eight people at home pulling what you're going to wear and deciding, you know, what you're going to do with your hair and makeup? I do. No. I know. You have Yeah.
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Just so you guys know, Jay has a whole team behind this camera of hair and makeup. I don't. I definitely don't. I'm the worst.
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I've never put on makeup for any podcast or anything. I'm like, but anyway. Well, you don't have to.
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Look how handsome you are.
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very kind, but I I could do with a bit of it.
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But no, I I'm so grateful to have you here.
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Honestly, I'm so so grateful.
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I was so happy when we connected.
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I've been a huge fan, admirer, and No, I was completely blown away by the I've been admiring you.
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I was telling I was telling someone.
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I was like, "Oh yeah, I know Jay."
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And then I go, "Oh my god, no, I don't." Until we met.
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I was like, "I feel like I know you." Yeah.
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Well, you were just telling me and I and I want to ask you a ton of questions today because I feel like the the beautiful thing about you is you can speak about talent and art.
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You can speak about parenting. You speak be life.
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You can speak about activism, like you've really are living such a whole life.
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And I know, but it's it's beautiful for me to observe and I want to learn from you today and my first question is just about you were just telling me now that you've been listening to a lot of podcasts and a lot of them have been around parenting especially.
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I wanted to ask you what have you learned about yourself through Santiago? Oh gosh.
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Um I'm saying his name right? Santiago, yeah. Santi. Santi, yeah.
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Santi, um you do learn a lot about yourself when you have a child.
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Well, he's just starting to get to the responsive age.
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So, like what people don't realize sometimes you see, you know, parents disciplining their kids so early and you're like, no, they don't have reason yet.
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They don't have um judgment yet.
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So, like that's all going to waste and and you want them to explore, you want them to fall down, you want them to touch things that they're not supposed to, you want them to learn.
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Um I didn't realize I think what I learned two things I learned was what a disciplinarian I am just in the sense of like, you know, okay, you're going to go to bed at this time and this is what he's going to eat is like and my husband's like the fun time guy and I always thought like I'd be the fun time person.
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I just like, you know, his have him having structure uh and then him having freedom within that structure.
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Um but like bedtimes and nap times I'm really like on top of it.
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Um and the other thing that surprised me was kind of like what you were talking about which was my activism, my political activism or my um philanthropy got so much more intense and and that like like things hurt me in a deeper way now.
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Like I I just go, oh my god, I got to leave the world a better place.
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Even to do my tiny tiny tiny part, the anxiety um that I have about that and the stakes for me are so much higher now.
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Like that's really like I was like, oh, there's nothing surprising about motherhood.
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Like if you read all the books and information that's out there, it's out there, but like when when it comes to like oh gosh wow that surprised me of of just how intense my work is getting now. Mhm. That's beautiful.
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I love I love that though.
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Just that the fact that you recognize Yeah.
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we all become so much more mindful and aware and aware that our actions matter and the world the way we leave it is going to matter for so many other generations.
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That's a beautiful lesson.
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You know what the biggest lesson I think I've learned so far from from many podcasts was mostly from how to raise a good human um and I forget her name but uh she always says you got to which can be applied to everybody in your life but she was talking about how to raise a child was meet them where they're at. Mhm. Right?
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Like people well kids are at this point so you got to meet them where they are.
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You can't expect them to know more, be more, um say more if they're not ready. They're not ready.
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They got to learn that, they got to evolve, they're little not only kinesthetically but like mentally, emotionally, you know, physically, all of that and I realized oh my gosh that's what people like if you meet an you're like oh okay he's not where I'm at right now.
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So um I'm going to have to figure out where he's at so we can communicate or if you meet a wonderful person you can elevate yourself to meet them where they're at.
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And like I was like oh my god it was like that was a mind-blowing thing I learned with um the parenting the parenting uh podcast.
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Yeah that's beautiful and I I just want to point out how amazing it is right now because she's been talking a lot and she's had to voice overs, she's had an amazing movie out like Fresh on the guest I know.
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That's why I have this sexy voice everybody.
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Not that you didn't already but but she's doing this even when she's got a strained voice so we have to love her even more for that.
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All right tell tell us about this you know you you've said before that you literally were the black sheep of your family. Yeah. Mhm.
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And now you look at where your life is.
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Tell us about like A, did you ever see it happening?
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B, like what it felt like to start that way because I think so many listeners today may feel like the black sheep of their family. Right. Right. No, I really was.
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I asked my parents many a times if I was adopted because I look like no one, I sound like no one.
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I don't even have the same illnesses that they like they all have this, I don't or I have this and they don't or like I was like, "Mom, you can tell me now. I'm an adult."
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Uh but no, it turns out I am my my parents' child.
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But no, I was raised, you know, as the black sheep literally the black sheep because my sisters were blonde and very light-skinned when they were born and like hazel eyes.
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They all have very very very light eyes.
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And when I was born, I was born with a full head of black hair.
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My eyes are nearly black um and dark skin.
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I mean, they call me la prieta fea which means ugly dark one in Spanish. Yeah.
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And um I was people are like, "Who called you that?" I go, "My mom." Like my family. Oh la prieta fea.
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And I that was I mean, that was my entire life.
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People would walk up to my mom and go, "Your daughters are so beautiful and who's this?"
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And I'd be like, "I'm the baby."
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Um and you know, my mom I mean, I was spoiled with love.
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I mean, they loved me um amazingly.
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So, it's not like I I did without, but it was amazing how um people defined, I guess, beauty was, you know, this like especially in in any people of color community, the colorism, right?
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Like the lighter you are, um the the more opportunity you have for white passing, white privilege situations.
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And so, um I feel like because I wasn't {quote} pretty like my sisters, I developed a sense of humor.
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And so, I dealt with everything with like a sense of humor since I was six, you know, and and kind of carried that with me throughout life cuz I didn't blossom until college.
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Like it wasn't until college that I actually like, oh, people are noticing me and oh, it was literally like a summer and I had my face changed, my my hair changed. It was funny. I mean, Wow.
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And do you think humor was a healing or a defense mechanism? Like Both. Okay.
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I think I think it originally started out as a defense mechanism.
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Like I'm going to criticize myself before you do.
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And then laughter was so healing and to hear people laugh was healing to my heart and I was like, oh, okay, I'm going to be I'm going to be the clown then.
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And then I made a career of it.
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Yeah, no, no, but I love that because I think it's so important to transition our defense mechanisms into healing.
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Because sometimes, as you know, the defense mechanism can just become this way of processing it in the moment, but then you walk home with all of that baggage and it feels really heavy.
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Whereas when you're healing, it's almost like, oh, actually, I realized that there are multiple ways that people can appreciate you and recognize you and you can serve and you can be significant.
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Yeah, and I think once like once I I became famous, I guess, is um I I became famous late.
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Like I was 30 years old when and when I became a household name and I already knew who I was by then.
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So I had a really strong center of of who I was and I didn't let anybody dictate it, whether it was a tabloids or people or, you know, today would be comments, but back then they didn't have we didn't have Instagram. So that's how old I am.
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But um and so um that helped me and I never defined my life by beauty up until that point.
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It was up not up until that point till I got in people's most beautiful and most beautiful list this and sexy that and I was like, oh, that's cool.
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I just thought it was cool.
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I didn't go, oh, that's who I am now.
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And um you know, I think that made a big difference was that I was a little older when Yes.
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all those things started happening or when people actually tried to identify you only as beautiful.
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Cuz now they go, "Well, you're obviously not smart or hardworking or anything else because you're beautiful." Yes.
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And you're like, "No, no, you can you can be many things." Yeah.
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And they're like, "You can be only one thing."
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And and I think that's amazing because what you're saying is because you'd had time to construct your identity as to who you truly were, Mhm.
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then when people started to make your identity singular, you were able to actually look at that and be like, "No, actually, I already know who I am.
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And this is a part of it." Yeah.
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But this isn't all of it. Yeah. Yeah.
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You said it so much more eloquently than I did. No, not at all.
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No, I You made a beautiful point. I think it's amazing.
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I I I think that there's so much to be said for that because it's it's almost like we know that like until we decide how we feel about ourselves, everyone else's feelings are just Yeah. going to take over. Mhm.
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How did you How did you Yeah, go on. Go on.
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You're going to say something beautiful. I didn't say anything. wasn't.
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Nothing Nothing that beautiful.
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But I I know I was going to say I'm kind of going through that again right now of finding my identity.
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Cuz I feel like that can change. You can evolve.
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Like I'm not who I was when I was 30.
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And now that I'm you know, directing and producing more and I'm behind the camera, um, even conveying that to my teams, whether it's my agent or my publicist or my manager or my the people that actually have to make my dreams come true or who who help me facilitate my dream, like I found myself lately being inarticulate about it.
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And so that's one thing I meditate on is clarity. Mhm.
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Like I go, "Okay, I need clarity because usually I my whole life I've been This is who I am.
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This is what I'm going to do.
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This is the path I'm walking. Here we go."
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And now I'm like, "Oh, okay."
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And being a mom changes that, too.
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Like it totally You have a different compass.
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Like you're handed a whole new compass.
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And then it's like, "Here's north. This is north now."
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And you're like, "Oh, okay. It's not me." God, yeah. Can you imagine?
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But I I'm so glad you shared that.
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Thank you for sharing that with us because I think it's so important for all of us to realize that that evolution doesn't stop. Yeah.
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And that we have to go through it again.
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But the fact is you've been through it before, so you have the familiarity to bring in. Right.
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And like you said, there's going to be new challenges. Yeah.
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But the first one you ever went to, I feel, and this is more one that I've seen is, you know, at one point you were going to become a physical therapist. Yeah.
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Or an And then And then where did acting come from?
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So, tell us about like almost that first kind of Wait.
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This is another funny story because us.
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because I was in college.
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I was in my last year of college, and I didn't have enough money to finish my senior year.
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So, I was going to have to drop out.
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And my girlfriend was like, "You should join the scholarship pageant."
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It wasn't a beauty pageant.
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It was a scholarship pageant.
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And I was like, "Oh, okay. What What is that?" And What is that?
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And it's basically beauty pageant. Okay.
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But you win a scholarship.
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And And like first place was like scholarship, books, tuition, boarding, meal.
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It was like the whole shebang.
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Second place was like a little less.
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Third place was a little less.
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Fifth place was books and and something else.
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And I said, "Oh my god, if I could just get fifth place, I think I can figure out how to pay for the rest."
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And so, I entered the pageant.
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I remember calling my mom, and I said, "Mom, I need a dress cuz I'm going to be in this pageant."
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She goes, "Oh, honey, is that a good idea?"
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Cuz she didn't think I was pretty enough. Oh my god.
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was like, "You're going to set yourself up for disappointment.
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You're going to be hurt."
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I was like, "No, I'm not doing it cuz of that."
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And because I was not doing it for that, I uh I didn't really take it personally.
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I wasn't going to take it personally.
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And uh I was like, "Mom, I'm just hoping to get fifth place.
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Hopefully fourth, right?"
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And I was doing like the statistics.
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Like if I could just, you know, there's 20 of us here.
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I just have to do better than 50 people.
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Anyway, uh turns out I win the whole thing.
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I did I won the whole thing.
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My mom, my sisters didn't believe me.
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They were like, "Was anybody else in the pageant?"
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And I was like, "Guys, I'm pretty now." Uh no.
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But it was And so, what happened was I was graduating with my kinesiology degree.
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And I I'm still obsessed with exercise science and physiology and the body and and fitness.
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And so, I wanted to be a sports trainer.
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I wanted to work for like the Dallas Cowboys or I wanted to work for like a really major team.
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And in the prize package was a trip to LA to go and compete in this talent competition.
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And I was like, "Oh, that'd be fun just to go to LA."
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I'd never been really outside of Texas.
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And so, I graduate college, I come to LA, and I just go I did this little competition and I got all these callbacks and people were interested and and they were like, "Oh my god, you're great. You're amazing."
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And I was like, "I I don't even What is this? Where am I? What is this?"
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I also fell in love with LA.
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I remember arriving in LA and probably taking the best breath of my life.
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Like I went, like my world opened up outside of Texas.
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And not only outside of Texas, but like outside of Corpus Christi, Texas.
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And I just remember going, "Whoa, there's other things in the world, other people."
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It was the first time I'd seen a Jewish person on the street.
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Like I was like, "There's a person with a hat and the Oh my gosh."
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And and um it was the first time I saw an Indian person.
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And I was like, "That's another Mexican like me."
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And they're like, "No, that's an Indian person."
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And I was like, "Oh my god, there's other people of color, you know?"
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I mean, it was so eye-opening just to be in LA.
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And I said, "I think I'm going to do this. I'm going to stay here.
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I'm going to be an actor."
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And I remember calling my mom I didn't even go home.
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I didn't even pack enough clothes.
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I just said, "Mom, I'm going to stay." And she goes, "Okay."
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Like my mom My parents were totally happy cuz I got my degree.
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They were like, "You know what?
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As long as you have your degree, of course, you can get a job anywhere."
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And I was like, "Yeah, I'll get a job."
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And and it literally was a left turn and it was some guiding force.
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I really think about it now.
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I I wouldn't do that today.
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I wouldn't get up and move my life and I didn't know anybody.
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I had no money, no car, no I knew nothing about an industry I wanted to be a part of.
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Like and I was and I felt supported and guided by some sort of energy and presence and I just thought, "Oh yeah, this is where I'm supposed to be."
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It just felt completely right.
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And I was never one of those people who said, "I'll give myself three years and if it doesn't work out I'm going home."
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I never I was like, "No, this is it."
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So we got it's going to take as long as it's going to take. Wow. Mhm. That's amazing.
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How were you able to what I what I'm listening to you, one thing that's really coming out for me is how were you able to separate the comments or judgment that you were receiving from your family, Uh-huh.
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accept the love that you received from them which you said beautifully.
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You said they always love me and I felt that. Mhm.
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And how were you able to see that comment and judgment is separate from that love because I find like so many people today one of the biggest questions I get asked is just like, "Jay, my parents don't believe in me or like my friends don't believe in me or they don't think it's possible for me." Yeah.
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And and sometimes what that does is it blocks the love, too. Oh, it Right? You know what I mean?
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Like it's like we also don't see the love.
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So how were you I'm just intrigued that how were you Yeah, and I'd love for you to think about it because I think it's fascinating because when I hear you talk about it there's no bitterness. There's resentment.
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There's no like there's none of that.
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I think I was I have blinders on when it comes to my goals and my like you there's nothing you could say that deterred me from my goal.
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And by the way that that's like the 6-year-old Eva.
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That's that's 20-year-old Eva. That's 44-year-old Eva.
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Like you can tell me it's a really bad idea. Like here are the risks. Here's the pros.
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Here's the cons and I I would still do what I want to do.
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So I don't know if you're born with that.
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Um so and I didn't see their judgment as negative.
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I thought they were being silly and funny and making fun of me and that comes from love, right?
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Like, oh, you know, there's so much um you only mess with the people you love the most.
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Like, that's who you can really joke with and I think that's how I read it for my family was they were like, "Really?
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You're going to be in a pageant? Really? You won? Okay. Okay."
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And I was like, "I have a picture.
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I have a picture to prove it."
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And I didn't invite any of my family Yeah, yeah. to the pageant.
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So, they kind of didn't believe that it happened cuz I didn't invite anybody.
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They were like, "Okay, I think that happened in Eva's head."
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Um So, they don't know till this day whether it actually happened.
19:46
Well, no, you paid for college.
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I I I was in college and I had pictures. Yeah.
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That you Remember, you had to develop them back then.
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You had to develop the pictures.
19:54
How much fun are you having with Grand Hotel right now? It's fun. It's so fun.
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You know, we wrapped so long ago, so I'm a little removed from it, but what what I was doing was uh when I was directing Grand Hotel, I had Well, first we shot the pilot Grand Hotel when I was 8 months pregnant and we shot in Miami and I was running around and I was like, "Okay, we got to do this. We got to do this."
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And and that was so much fun cuz I felt like I had two babies.
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I had, you know, Santi in my stomach and this pilot that we were hoping would get picked up by ABC and then we get picked up and Santi's born and I'm directing the first one and I'm breastfeeding. Santi's 7 weeks old.
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I'm getting 3 hours of sleep and I was like, "How am I going to do this?
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I don't even know if I'm going to do this."
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And I was just breastfeed him on set.
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I have I have a thousand videos of me saying, "And action."
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And he's I'm breastfeeding.
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Um so many pictures and he's just I'm like, "Here we go.
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I mean, we're going to do it."
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So, I view Grand Hotel as um you know, a parallel universe with with Santi because it they just happened at the same time and they were they were both so hard to get off the ground, Santi and Grand Hotel. At the same time.
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And so, uh I yeah, I think Grand Hotel is one of the most special projects.
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That one and Dora cuz same thing, Dora I was shooting Dora when Santi was tiny and so those two projects will always be so special to me cuz if they're they're in in encompassed in Santi.
21:19
Yeah, but this this this seems like a theme in your life.
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Like you you never do the easy route.
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Yeah, you never do like the one thing.
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Like most people are like, if you're going to have a kid one year, like just have a kid, right? I hear that.
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We don't have kids yet, but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:34
we hear that all the time, but like you were you know, you said Dora yeah, Dora of course, congratulations by the way.
21:39
It's been amazing seeing everything.
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So, Dora, you've got Grand Hotel and you're having Santi at right at the same time.
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And then when you were trying to become an actress, you were also head hunting at the Oh my gosh, yes. Yes.
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Let me tell you where all of that comes from and then I'll tell you the head hunting story, but like my mom raised four girls. One was special needs.
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My older sister's mentally disabled.
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Um worked a full-time job.
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She became a special education teacher.
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Um took care of our family.
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Took care of her sister who um you know, was also you know, both of her sisters were older and so like she was just a caretaker for the whole family and had dinner on the table every day at 6:00 that she made from scratch.
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So, I always look at my mom as like how did she do that?
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We went to four different schools. She was a human taxi.
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She dropped one off, picked one up, da da da. I was in cheerleading. My sister was in band.
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My other sister was in flag core.
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Um Lisa's getting her therapies and and she never I don't remember a day my mom was sick.
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I don't remember her getting a cold, a flu, a cough, a sneeze.
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I She just did it and she endured and she she didn't only like survive, she thrived.
22:49
Like she was like did it and so I look at my life and I go, "Oh my god, I'm not doing enough." Like my mom did.
22:53
Like my mom did way more and did it happily and with a smile and um so yeah, that's where I think the work ethic comes from.
23:02
Um, but when I moved to Hollywood, I was like I had my degree and I was like I'm not going to wait tables, not that anything's wrong with that, but I was just like I have a degree.
23:11
So, I went to a temp agency to get a temp job because I was like I'm an actor. Um, I'm an actor.
23:16
I can't really work too much. And um, they hired me.
23:21
And they were like, "Oh, you should work here."
23:23
And I was like, "Oh, what's what's here?"
23:24
And they said, "Oh, it's um, you know, matchmaking.
23:27
There's jobs and people and you put them together."
23:29
And I was like, "Oh, okay."
23:30
So, Not people and people matchmaking.
23:32
Yeah, no, not people people. Jobs and people. And I was good at it.
23:36
I mean, I was I I was just like this is like my calling.
23:43
And I was doing so well that I paid off my my college debt, my student debt, my I mean my my credit card debt, my student debt.
23:50
Uh, I I got a car, I had an apartment, I got my headshots, I took acting classes.
23:55
Like, it really I I just it was like a dream job for me because it still allowed me to pursue acting and and financially support that dream.
24:03
And I remember the first big break I got was on Young and the Restless.
24:07
And I was like, "Oh my gosh, I got this part."
24:09
And it was paying a tenth of what I was making as a head hunter.
24:13
I was like, "Oh, I can't I can't live on that.
24:15
Like, that I have now all of these things I have to pay for."
24:20
So, I continued to be a head hunter while I was young young and the restless for 3 years, by the way. Wow.
24:26
time I was in Young and the Restless, I had to keep my other job because they didn't pay me enough.
24:29
And I did it out of my dressing room.
24:31
So, I'd be on the phone and I'd be like, um, "Yes, I'm negotiating this salary."
24:34
And then they're like, "Ready on set?"
24:36
And I'm like, "Okay, I have to run. I have another meeting."
24:39
And you're learning lines, too, at the same time.
24:40
Learning lines, getting hair and makeup, doing publicity. Like, it was it was fun.
24:45
I'm, you know, when you're young like that, you have all the energy in the world.
24:49
And I remember You still do. Yeah. You still do it.
24:52
But now now I get 8 hours of sleep, though.
24:54
Like, I actually budget it.
24:55
Back then I could roll out of bed from the club and be like, here we go, let's go. Yeah. Yeah. Now, that can't happen. If I drink today, Yeah.
25:03
It's like 4 days later I'll recover from drinking. I love that. No, it's so true. So true.
25:08
And you remind me of my mom, too.
25:10
Like when you were speaking about your mother, I I feel exactly the same way.
25:12
You know, my mother was always there, but running her own business, growing up when I was growing up, taking care of me and my sister, every sporting activity or art activity or whatever it was, always supportive, helping with homework. Yes, my mom, too. Homework.
25:28
Yeah, homework, like helping with school, like just And yeah, she did it so like effortlessly. Almost it felt that way.
25:34
Almost it wasn't It wasn't, but she made it feel like that.
25:38
She never made it feel like a burden or never made it feel like it was our fault or whatever it was.
25:41
And I can relate to that.
25:44
But you have this real ability and I I it's your superpower.
25:47
Like you're able to continuously, we just talked about head hunting and acting, like making both happen at the same time.
25:53
You're talking about even then with Desperate Housewives and doing a mas- like a master's degree. Yeah.
25:58
I got my master's during Desperate Housewives, which I Like, come on, like Looking back, I'm like, not so much a good idea.
26:03
Cuz it getting your master's is all-encompassing in mentally.
26:08
Like you have to really dive deep into um the purpose of that.
26:13
Like, why are you doing this?
26:15
And and I was um I come from a family of educators.
26:18
So, like all my sisters went to college, my mom, my my aunts were teachers, like um so I was the last person in my family to get a master's degree.
26:26
Like that's crazy, you know?
26:29
Like, what how many families can say that?
26:31
And I knew I was very blessed with the idea that education was important and also hearing the word, university, university, university in my household.
26:39
So many kids today don't I don't even hear that word in their household. So, I was really lucky.
26:44
Um so, it was something harping at me cuz I was supposed to always get my master's and then I took a left turn and went to Hollywood.
26:50
and then as um I was on set.
26:54
Uh Desperate was the number one show in the world, and my mom was like, "Right.
26:58
But, when are you going to get your master's?"
27:00
Like, she was like Even then, wow. Even then.
27:04
Yeah, I'm like, "Mom, Mom, we're like number one in China right now. Okay?
27:07
Do you know what that means?"
27:08
She's like, "Mm, yeah, doesn't mean anything."
27:11
Um and so, and also what was happening, which was was a ironic because it's still happening, was this border issue, this immigration issue.
27:20
And it was such a hot topic in that moment, and continues to be, that I wanted to dive deeper into the history of immigration of our country, because I hate misinformation.
27:30
I don't like misinformation.
27:33
It's one thing my grandma taught me, you never hate something.
27:35
She's like, "Don't say that word ever."
27:37
I would be like, "I hate orange juice."
27:38
She goes, "You cannot hate orange juice.
27:40
You cannot like orange juice, but you do not hate anything." I know.
27:44
I'm always That's why when I hear it, I'm like, "Oh, it That's the one word." Like, no curse word.
27:48
You can curse all you want, but when somebody goes, "I hate milk."
27:51
or what I hate anything, I'm like, Ooh, don't say that word.
27:55
Um so, anyway, I um I don't like the amount of misinformation in the world.
28:01
So, I was like, "You know what?
28:02
I don't even know this information. Let me go get it."
28:02
And so, I took one class about Chicano 101, which was, you know, Chicano's a a politicized word in the Civil Rights Movement, in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.
28:13
Um that really is about the Mexican-American specifically, Mexican-American journey in the United States.
28:20
And so, the history, because many of us didn't cross the border, the border crossed us.
28:23
And so, we are rooted in this country, in this in this tierra, in this world, in this earth, in this whatever, you know, border that is put up, we're still part of this land.
28:36
And so, um understanding that history, and um I took one class, and then uh I took another class, and then I took a third class, and finally the university was like, "You you know you have to enroll eventually." And I was like, "Okay."
28:50
So then I I enrolled, but like I didn't think about it other than I just want to take more classes. I want to learn. And I was devouring it.
28:57
Once you enroll, uh there is a timeline.
28:59
You have to finish and you have to take these certain classes by a certain time and then you have to do your thesis and then your thesis has to be argued and then I was like, "Uh what did I do?"
29:06
And I never told anybody I was doing it, by the way, and it got out that I was doing it.
29:12
Uh and that put more pressure on me to finish cuz I was like, "Even if I don't finish, at least I took more classes."
29:17
And once it got out to the press and people kept talking about like, "That's so great. That's so great.
29:22
We Our my our community needs you."
29:22
I was like, "Oh, I now I have to finish."
29:27
Um and so that's why I I got my master's and then ended up writing my thesis, which uh was is the basis of my foundation, which is my life's work.
29:37
And so I remember I had a great mentor at the time, uh Henry Cisneros.
29:42
Um there's 20 people like in your cohort, in your class, and 19 of them were doing immigration thesis, like from different points of view, the different entry points, you know, everything, anything you can think of.
29:54
Um and I was like, "Yeah, I want to do my thesis on immigration."
29:56
And he and my mentor goes, "But is that going to be your life's work?
30:01
Like what is going to be your life's work?
30:03
Your thesis in your master's is diving deep into one thing.
30:08
And things can branch off of that, like, oh, because, you know, social issues are all connected.
30:12
Um but he's like, "But what are you going to be an expert at?"
30:16
And I said, "Oh, I don't Well, I really am interested in education because my family is comes from educators and I'm I want to help more Latinos um attain higher education, even finish high school, right?
30:28
Like finish high school and then be able to to go further.
30:32
And so he's like, "That's what your thesis needs to be on."
30:35
So if it's education, what about education?
30:37
Who do you want to help?"
30:38
And I said, "Well, I want to help women.
30:39
I know that, young girls." He goes, "Great.
30:41
And what where do you want to help?"
30:43
Like he made me drill down specifically what but how are you going to help and why are you going to help?
30:49
And so I said, "Well, you know, I feel like there's not enough Latinas in STEM fields, you know, science, technology, engineering, and math.
30:57
And when we don't have a seat at the table with these industries, innovation doesn't service our communities. Correct.
31:05
So I was like, "Okay, let me help facilitate that."
31:10
So my thesis was specifically on Latinas in STEM fields and how diversity creates innovation for anything, whether you're a researcher or teacher, whatever, you know, or scientist or an engineer.
31:23
I mean, solutions come from people's experiences.
31:26
And so we need more experiences to innovate world problems, you know, to solve world problems. What an amazing mentor. I know.
31:36
Like being able to just really push you there rather than just yeah, that's great.
31:39
Everybody's doing immigration law right now. Yeah, yeah, wow.
31:41
And That's what That's why I did that.
31:44
I know I never do things easy. I know. It's beautiful. We need you.
31:48
Like we need the strength and the toughness.
31:50
I think what it shows me is just what it shows me and shows so many people today.
31:55
I think so many of us get lost in the excuse of like, "Well, I can't chase my passion if I'm doing this."
32:00
Or I can't do this if it's meaningful to me because I have a day job.
32:03
Or I can't you know, and I'm not saying that everyone should do everything, but what I am saying is that you're you're showing us Yeah.
32:08
through your own behavior and action and choices that if you put your mind to it, you can do multiple things that actually very different.
32:15
I I think also what we don't realize is we waste more time in the day than you realize. Yes. Right?
32:20
And so like I'm I'm sometimes on Instagram, but I really look at the screen time and I give myself like this is the time even you can look at Instagram.
32:30
Like my entire day is mapped out because I'm just an efficient person.
32:34
If I'm in the car, I'm doing a conference call or I'm listening to a podcast.
32:38
If I'm on a plane, I'm reading a script, I'm reading a book, I'm watching a TV show that I have to watch for research.
32:42
Like if I'm you know, bathing Santi, I am FaceTiming with Grandma because Grandma's going to this is your time Grandma with Santi.
32:51
Like it's just like what can I do?
32:51
And I remember also when I was on Desperate Housewives, I learned French and it was Come on, English.
33:00
I did learn I learned French and Spanish cuz I didn't learn to speak Spanish, but my first um my my second language and then my third language was was Spanish, but um through these tapes and so if I was working out, I was listening to the tapes.
33:14
If I was driving, I was listening to these tapes and then I would go to class and I would buy the books and for French and um and I remember my castmate going, "I can't believe you know, when we finished Housewives, she goes, you've learned two languages and got a master's degree."
33:29
She goes and she's like, "And I just I just endured."
33:35
But because there was so much downtime on set.
33:37
There was so much I was in my trailer for an hour and I felt like I wasn't reaching my full potential as a human being.
33:42
Like I was having fun on the show, don't get me wrong and I was really grateful for like I'm on this amazing show and I'm having and I took acting very seriously, but like there's so much downtime and off days that I was like, I got to fill this with something else. That is amazing. Yeah. That is awesome. I love that. I I love that.
34:00
Now all of us everyone listening watching me included. I'm like no excuses.
34:03
more you waste more time than you think.
34:06
And I like I said, I also schedule my sleep.
34:08
So like I go to the gym at 6:00 a. m.
34:10
So I have to be in bed by 10:00.
34:12
If I'm in bed by 10:00, that means dinner's at 7:00.
34:13
If I have a dinner like and I just like schedule things like that.
34:17
And by the way, there's monkey wrenches.
34:19
Like all right, this dinner went late.
34:20
I'm going to be tired tomorrow, but it's not my lifestyle. You know what I mean? it.
34:25
It's the exception of the rule.
34:26
It's the exception of the rule.
34:26
Or when people go, "I don't have time to work out."
34:29
I was like, "Yeah, you actually do. You probably do."
34:30
And I think that's part of it.
34:32
We need rules to have exceptions from.
34:34
Otherwise everything's the exception, right?
34:36
Like otherwise everything's all over the place and there's no rules.
34:38
I I couldn't agree with you more.
34:40
Tell me about how you've seen the Latino experience in Hollywood.
34:45
Like for someone who's not familiar with that. What what is that like?
34:50
Um If you want to go there.
34:52
No, no, it's a big topic.
34:52
Um there was a study that just came out yesterday um from USC um Stacy Smith at USC um talking about not only are we severely underrepresented in Hollywood, but the erasure of Latinos in film is creating the um problems we're having in society. Interesting.
35:12
Like it definitely is correlated.
35:12
Um you know, if you only see gangbangers, drug dealers, you know, um criminals in TV and film, then that educates a community about who we are.
35:25
It educates people who don't have a Latino in their town to go, "Oh, that's what they are."
35:30
Um and I think more important than that is it educates our community on who we are.
35:38
And so if I'm a young Latino and only see those um portrayals, it's damaging.
35:41
And so you can't be what you can't see.
35:46
And and I think that um there has to be conscious change to happen.
35:55
So I feel like sometimes people go, "Well, this is an unconscious bias."
35:58
Like like people just go to the to the well they always go to, you know, white male talent.
36:03
Um you know, and so who's left out of that is women, people of color, LGBTQA. I mean all of this.
36:07
And so you have to understand there's different there's different talent pools um awaiting uh usage.
36:16
And so hopefully I think we're facing the right direction now.
36:21
I don't know if we've taken a step. Right.
36:22
But you at least feel there's been like we're like this and now we're like, up, okay, there it is. Let's go, you know.
36:29
Um, and then you know, same thing happened, you know, going back to Grand Hotel, when I was finally in a position of power to hire, um, as a producer, as an executive producer and a director, um, it was our job to staff up the director slot.
36:45
So, we had 13 open slots, and what we did was, uh, primarily hire women for women first.
36:52
Let's fill the slots with women, and once we ran out of that talent pool, we said, great.
36:55
Now, the rest of the slots, people of color. Great.
36:57
And then, once those filled up, then the remaining slots were, um, your usual white male directors.
37:02
And we did that purposely, and so, um, same thing with, um, director of photography.
37:09
I took these traditional, um, jobs, I took these jobs, I looked at these jobs that were traditionally held by men, and I asked for women.
37:21
Like, I was just like, you know, director of photography, cinematographers are mostly male, and I said, um, are there any women?
37:26
And they go, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:28
And then they sent me some female names.
37:30
I ended up hiring a female director of photography, Allison Kelly.
37:35
And she ends up hiring women in her department, right?
37:37
So, then it like trickles down.
37:41
Um, then we hired two female assistant directors, and they end up hiring female PAs.
37:46
And then, and it just there's a great trickle down effect.
37:48
There was, um, we needed a stunt coordinator, cuz we had a big stunt to do.
37:51
And they're like, here's Tom, Dick, and Harry.
37:53
And I was like, wait, are there any female stunt coordinators?
37:56
Like, there must be female stunt coordinators.
37:57
They go, oh yeah, there are.
37:59
And of course, they sent me the names, and I go, great, her, Helena.
38:02
So, we had a female stunt coordinator.
38:04
Like, we really filled these non-traditional roles, um, jobs that are held by men, um, with women, and oh, it works.
38:13
Like, oh, and they're just as talented, and they're just as creative.
38:15
So, it's the same with Latinos in Hollywood.
38:17
So, instead of unconsciously ignoring us, you should consciously hire us. Mhm. Right?
38:25
In front of and behind the camera. Yeah, absolutely.
38:26
And and and I think that's amazing.
38:28
I think it's so amazing to see how intentional and focused and strategic you've been about representation mattering.
38:35
Because it's almost like it feels like if you don't do that, then it kind of just doesn't happen. Won't. It won't, yeah.
38:41
Because it's like If I'm not doing it, you know, John Smith do it. Yeah, absolutely. Like that.
38:48
It's This is my community.
38:49
I should be And like you said, I don't do it to be a hero.
38:50
I I do it because I don't like I you said when you open the podcast you have to be very careful about speaking for people. I speak for women.
39:01
I speak for, you know, it's like, "No, no, no.
39:02
I don't speak for Latinos."
39:02
What I do is teach and inspire them to speak up for themselves.
39:07
And the way we can do that in Hollywood is by hiring them.
39:12
Whether you're a storyteller or a grip or a lighting person or an actor or writer, um you tell that story. You tell your story.
39:20
Um so I'm not, you know, trying to go, "Hey, listen to me.
39:24
This is what we're going to do."
39:26
It's It's, you know, "No, go do what you want to do. And you can do it." Yeah. I give you permission. Right?
39:32
Like sometimes people just want permission to be great. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's amazing.
39:37
Was it hard for you to transfer over from being an actor to then production and direction?
39:44
Or have you enjoyed that and loved that? No, cuz I'm very bossy.
39:48
I like telling people what You can tell when this podcast No one saw it, but before this podcast started, I thought I was about to get schooled.
39:54
I was getting all sorts of directions.
39:56
Yeah, I'm like, "I'm going to sit there. You sit there.
39:59
I'm going to have the better light." Um no. I love it. I love it. Literally.
40:03
Um no, it was um I feel like, you know, people go, "Oh, she's an actor turned director."
40:09
I feel like I was always a director producer turned actor.
40:12
Because I've been fascinated by the business side and the the assembly of a project.
40:19
And also, again, I remember being on set in Desperate Housewives and going to my mark and saying my lines and then you go home.
40:25
You don't get to pick your co-star.
40:26
You don't get to say get to write the things that are coming out of your mouth.
40:29
You don't get to pick the music that's going to lay over this.
40:30
You don't get to pick um what you're wearing.
40:33
You don't get like there is actors have the least amount of control in in the whole process of filmmaking and movie making and TV making.
40:41
Um and so I just go I I want to have more control of my destiny, of my career, and of the final product that is being put out there.
40:51
And that's why I chose to get behind the camera cuz I was like, "No, no, no, I want to make the decisions."
40:58
I think that's so important. No, I think it's great.
41:00
I think we should celebrate that. It's awesome.
41:01
And I I couldn't agree with you more.
41:03
Like I I think for so much talent to continue saying the words that they haven't written and to be like what you're saying, defining an experience. Yeah. Yeah.
41:10
I want to I want to define my own experience. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
41:14
And experience of the the viewers, too. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
41:18
No, I can relate a lot to that.
41:19
I've been I'm planning my my tour at the moment for me to go and visit all the cities in which I have a wonderful community and and go meet everyone.
41:25
And for me it's very much about defining an experience.
41:29
I was like, "I don't just want to stand on a stage and and speak on any stage."
41:32
It's like I want to design an experience so the people know that they've come to a place that embodies everything that I believe in and value.
41:40
Well, and speaking of this podcast like on purpose, so I remember one of the things I learned from Oprah, um I'm not name-dropping cuz I didn't meet her.
41:47
I'm just saying from her show. There she is. There she is. Yeah.
41:50
Um was when she used to do her daily show, I was like, "How do they fill up 365 days a year of like, you know, booking people and booking you know, talk psychologists, whatever that picking the the themes and picking the the topic of the show and and she said, "I produce with purpose.
42:11
So every show has to deliver something.
42:14
Why am I producing this this particular episode? Yes.
42:17
And I have carried that with me in everything that I do. Like, what is the point?
42:22
And so, I'll get pitched things of like, "Oh, it's like a like Empire but Latino." And I go, "Right.
42:29
Okay, but and then what?" Yeah. Great.
42:32
Like, I've turned down so many things that I go, "That's going to be People are going to watch that."
42:35
I just don't know what the point is.
42:36
Like, what's the purpose? And what's Yeah. For me. Exactly.
42:39
It might serve as something in your life, but it's not servicing my goals of whatever that is, right?
42:47
And so, um producing with purpose has been the mantra of my production company.
42:51
And that's probably why I produce so many documentaries is because humanizing social issues is the best way to educate somebody about it.
43:00
And um and so, I my agents to to to my agents' chagrin cuz they were just like, "Documentaries don't make movies and don't make money, Eva.
43:06
Docu- Stop making documentaries. They make no money."
43:08
And I'm like, "But that's not my purpose." Yeah.
43:11
If that was my purpose, I wouldn't do them.
43:12
But my purpose for the documentaries is a different Yeah. different point. I love that. I love that.
43:17
And I think that's so important.
43:18
That applies to everything.
43:19
Like, not just movies or shows.
43:21
It's like, you can apply that to everything in our lives.
43:22
Like, why are we sitting down with anyone or every meeting or friend we allow into our space or just really reflecting and going, "What is the purpose of this interaction, conversation, deal, whatever it may be?" Yeah. Totally.
43:34
And being able to do that and I Yeah, anyone who's listening and watching, I highly encourage you to do that with your with your work, with your relationships, with every area.
43:42
And if you can't answer the question, then you can look for an answer.
43:45
And if you can't find the answer, then then that is your answer.
43:48
And I think, you know, like I'm doing now in my life is is taking an emotional inventory Mhm. and going, "Okay. What's this servicing? Nothing. Out." You know? Okay. What is it?
43:58
Like, just doing the spring cleaning of your um emotions.
44:01
And so, I always love that, you know, idea of like, "Oh, let's take an emotional inventory."
44:06
My husband and I will do it together. Like, where are we at? What are we doing? Okay, here we go.
44:10
All right, let's this is wasting our time and not really fulfilling us in any way. So, out. Not doing that anymore.
44:18
Even with like, you know, silly things like like not only projects and people, you know, whether it's property like we you know, we had this house in Miami. We're like, we don't go. Why do we have that?
44:30
Like, and you don't realize it because sometimes there's a different part of your life that is about attainment.
44:34
I'm going to I'm going to attain as much as I can whether it's money, whether it's houses, whether it's cars, whether blah blah blah.
44:39
And lately my husband and I have just looked at our life and go, whoa.
44:43
What is the purpose of this many things? Okay, let's we got it. We don't need that. We don't need that. We don't need that.
44:50
And and I think that's um important to do from time to time. Yeah, I agree.
44:55
Before I became a monk, I did that in a tiny way. Mhm.
44:59
Because I gave away a lot of my best clothes to my friends who wanted them.
45:03
So, I gave away all these like football jerseys or soccer jerseys that I had that I'd collected. I love soccer. So, Uh-huh.
45:08
I had all these jerseys and I was giving them away.
45:10
And then when I came back from being a monk, I was like, I might take that back.
45:15
I did that recently with I'd never thought I'd lose the pregnancy weight cuz I got so big that I just resigned myself to like, well, this is the new normal.
45:23
And I gave away so many clothes. I was like, jeans out.
45:25
Tight, anything tight out out out.
45:27
And now I did lose the weight and I'm like, can I can I have that dress back? And you can't.
45:33
No, I don't know if your friend gave my friend my stuff back.
45:37
and I go, I love that dress and she goes, you gave it to me and I go, oh, okay. I love that.
45:43
Yeah, I auctioned off this soccer ball that was signed by all the players of Manchester United and I I auctioned it off for charity before I became a monk to give it away. Is that your team? Yeah, that's my team. Yeah.
45:55
Is that what David played? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
45:57
I mean like So, what's the opposite of Manchester City. Okay.
46:00
Yeah, we don't like yeah.
46:00
So, no cuz did you see the prank that Gordon James Gordon did on him?
46:04
And the guy's like, "Hey, you and Manchester City, man."
46:08
And David was like, "No, you you got the team wrong."
46:10
That's when they That was when they made that statue of him? Yeah. Oh my god.
46:13
That statue was hilarious.
46:15
But the funniest thing was like, he keeps you got to keep confusing the the teams. Yeah, that was so bad.
46:22
Yeah, Manchester City is like Manchester United's arch enemy and now they're really good. Oh, are they good? Yeah, they're good now.
46:27
So So Where did Thierry Henry play? Arsenal? Arsenal, yes.
46:32
Thierry Henry was at Arsenal and then Barcelona. Where does Zidane play?
46:35
He played Well, now he's the manager of Real Madrid and he used to play for Real Madrid.
46:38
He also played at Juventus.
46:38
I believe he also played at Barcelona as well. He played Juventus? Yeah. Oh, interesting.
46:43
I It's funny story This is like you can edit this out, but uh I got this invitation to host the the FIFA Awards in Zurich. No way.
46:54
So, I'm reading I'm in bed and I'm reading this and I go "F I F A.
46:56
Honey, they want me to host some fight FIFA FIFA thing." And he goes, "What?" And I go, "The awards. I don't know.
47:05
I don't know all these people."
47:06
And he goes, "You have to do it."
47:07
Cuz my husband's a huge soccer fan.
47:09
He's like, "You have to do We have to do We have to go. It'll be so amazing." I was like, "All right." So, I said yes.
47:13
And I have to I had to interview all these players.
47:14
I had to interview Maradona.
47:15
I had to interview Ronaldo.
47:15
I had to interview all these players and I didn't know who any of them were. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks, Eva. Thanks, right.
47:23
Right now I'm I'm really in love with you right now. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah.
47:26
And and and then last minute last minute my husband couldn't go.
47:30
And I had to go by myself.
47:30
I go, "Well, I don't want to go."
47:32
Like I didn't want to go to the thing in the first place.
47:34
You're the one that made me say yes and now you're not coming.
47:36
He last minute he could not go.
47:37
He had a business So, I'm there going, "Honey, okay.
47:39
So, Messi play is from Spain."
47:41
And he goes, "No, he is not from Spain.
47:43
And if you say that, they're going to throw a rock at you."
47:46
And I was like, "But I thought you said he played in Spain."
47:48
He goes, "No, he plays in Spain, but he's not from Spain."
47:51
They're very serious about it.
47:53
And I was like, "All right.
47:53
So, Maradona's from Spain." Nobody said "No. No, he's not from Spain.
47:57
And he was getting so He made me a PowerPoint presentation. Oh my Oh, that's good.
48:03
So I could interview them. And I was like, so it. That's useful.
48:05
And I And then I was like, oh, Ronaldo Cristiano What's his name? Yeah, Cristiano.
48:12
Cuz isn't there two of them?
48:12
Ronaldo Ronaldinho the Brazilian Ronaldo. Okay. And there's Ronaldinho.
48:17
And then there's Cristiano Ronaldo. oh god.
48:19
So I was like, Cristiano's from Brazil, right? And he goes, no.
48:22
And I go, he speaks Portuguese.
48:23
And he goes, he's from Portugal. Like, oh my god. This is too confusing. Too confusing.
48:29
Anyway, yeah, I ended up doing it, but not Cool. not happy about it. Very cool. Yeah, very cool. Not happy about it. You would have loved it.
48:35
Not jealous at all, yeah. Not jealous at all. I loved that. Yes.
48:38
Do you want us to keep that in? I loved it. It was great. It was great.
48:42
But But no, but where were we? Nobody cares.
48:45
Uh yeah, no, that's No, wait.
48:47
I think I think the awesome thing is that No, there's no lesson in that.
48:52
That's just No, there's no lesson in that. being a fan boy. in that.
48:56
That was me just being very excited that I know Surprising you call it soccer. I I do when I'm here.
49:02
Just so everyone knows what I'm talking about.
49:03
Cuz if I say I can't call it real football, then everyone gets upset. So I know.
49:07
Have you been to the Los Angeles? I have.
49:09
I've been to Los Angeles.
49:11
I've been to the LA Galaxy stadium.
49:11
I What's the difference, by the way?
49:14
Cuz So there's LAFC and LA Galaxy.
49:15
They're the two teams in LA. Oh, they're both MLS? They're both MLS. Oh, I didn't know that. Okay. Did not know that. Yeah, yeah. They're both here.
49:22
I mean, why would I know that?
49:25
Yeah, why would you know that?
49:26
You don't know Cristiano Ronaldo.
49:27
I just love the food at the LAFC. Okay. Yeah, great stadium.
49:31
hoping you were a football fan, but I guess I'm a I'm a football fan. Oh, yeah. American football. American football, yeah.
49:36
I am a huge NFL fan, yeah. I love I love the NFL. Do you not like it?
49:40
I've I've been I'm interested in people in the NFL, like players.
49:45
I'm fascinated by people's But I just didn't grow up on it. That's what it is.
49:48
I watch it, but I didn't grow I think when you grow up on something.
49:52
And I'm from Texas, so Texas is a football state. So, that's it.
49:54
Because when you grow up on something, it has a huge So, I even watched a lot of basketball growing up. So, I love basketball.
49:58
Yeah, I actually love basketball.
50:00
But, but football, soccer, is my main sport. But, anyway.
50:04
Now, I was going to ask you, with Santi, what is there I asked you earlier what you'd learned from him and and since having him, what are you trying to teach him?
50:12
What would you like him to take on?
50:16
What are the most important things? Yeah. And how you're doing it?
50:17
I read a book when I was pregnant.
50:21
It's amazing how many how how This you should write a book about this because there's not a lot of books on it.
50:27
Cuz I was looking for it, but I I wanted to know when I was pregnant, I wanted to know what was spiritually happening.
50:31
So, you there's so many books of like, today he has fingernails.
50:35
This week he has brain is developing. Eat a lot of salmon.
50:37
This month, this is happening.
50:38
And I was like, what is spiritually happening in my belly?
50:44
And my friend Deepak Deepak gave me his book and he said, read this book.
50:49
And it was the spirituality and miracle of pregnancy.
50:52
And and it was basically that of like, even in the book he said, you know, don't don't watch the anything that upsets you even if it's fake, like a scary movie or Yes.
51:03
or something cuz he's like, the baby doesn't know that feeling is manufactured.
51:08
You just go, ah, you get scared or whatever.
51:10
And and you know, same thing with like try not to be stressed or anything.
51:13
Just how everything channels into the baby and all of that stuff.
51:18
But, there was literally one It was like his book and that was it.
51:20
And I said, no, there has to be more.
51:22
Like, does the heart create before the mind? I mean, the brain? Like physically?
51:27
So, that's why like we do lead with our heart.
51:29
Like I wanted to know so many of those Interesting. answers.
51:32
Um anyway, uh and so in the book, he said, you know, every night when you rub your cream on or whatever, do a mantra with what you wish for your child.
51:40
And my wish for him was kindness and compassion. Aw, that's beautiful.
51:44
Please let him be I mean, health of course.
51:48
Like that was like a given.
51:48
I was like, okay, I hope he's healthy.
51:49
But the thing I want to impart most on on him is to be a hope he's a kind and compassionate human being. Mhm. You know? That's beautiful. And and mindful. Yeah.
52:00
I think a lot of things hang off the tree of mindfulness.
52:05
So, you know, sometimes you can have a gullible compassionate person. Mhm.
52:11
But if you're mindful, I feel like there's a level of compassion and intelligence to be deciphering good situations, bad situations, what takes your time, what shouldn't take your time.
52:22
And so, mindfulness was a big one.
52:25
Yeah, those are beautiful. I love that. And it's so true.
52:27
Yeah, the the Vedic terms and I know Deepak well as well. He's a good friend.
52:31
The samskaras that children have are all the way from conception through as they get older.
52:36
And so, the the qualities and the values we want them to embody and meditating on those and then the qualities when they come in.
52:44
So, I think that's beautiful.
52:44
What a beautiful meditation too.
52:45
And and I love what you said there.
52:47
It's not just about being kind and compassionate and gullible. Yeah.
52:49
But being focused, intentional, mindful, being able to process that.
52:53
Yeah, it's a very big difference. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. It's amazing.
52:57
And and one thing I read about you which I thought was unbelievable which I have to say and you're going to hate me for saying it but I'm going to say it anyway. I have it.
53:04
Is Hollywood Reporter named you the philanthropist of the year which I thought was amazing.
53:08
I mean, that's beautiful. Thank you.
53:09
To have come here, to have paved your own path, to have worked so hard, and for this space and community and world to recognize that. Yeah.
53:19
I mean, that must have felt incredible. No, it was amazing.
53:20
And and at the same time giving you an opportunity to use that platform to do more incredible work. Tell us about that. Yeah. Um so so much so much.
53:29
That meant a lot to me because, you know, I grew up with a special needs sister.
53:34
So, my oldest sister Lisa has a mental disability.
53:36
She was born at like 7 months so didn't get enough oxygen to her brain.
53:40
so she has like about a third grade level for her life.
53:44
Like, you know, her reading, her her comprehension.
53:48
And so, because of that, I was born into her world.
53:51
And when we were young, um we would use so many community services, whether it was um Boys & Girls Club or Salvation Army.
53:59
Um we would always go uh at Special Olympics.
54:05
There were so many organizations that helped my sister and our family that I never forgot.
54:09
Like, I was like, "Who are these people helping us?
54:14
They don't even know us."
54:14
And my mom would always say, "Charity."
54:16
And I thought charity was a person.
54:18
Like, I was like, you know, charity's the life.
54:22
Um and we used to have to volunteer.
54:24
That was the greatest lesson I think my mom taught us very early was volunteerism.
54:28
And so, she was like, "We're going to go volunteer at the soup kitchen.
54:29
We're going to volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club.
54:32
We're going to volunteer at Special Olympics."
54:34
And I thought it was a job.
54:34
Like, I was like, "I want to be a volunteer when I grow up." Um and How beautiful.
54:39
Yeah, it was because at my earliest childhood memories, all revolve around Special Olympics um because my sister was in it, so we had to go and volunteer.
54:47
Cuz my mom was like, "We're all going. Let's go. Get in the car. You're volunteering. Lisa's competing."
54:51
And I remember my my first job was a hugger.
54:53
Like, there that's a job at the Special Olympics. And you Wow.
54:57
hug the athletes at the end of their race, at the end of their competition. And Wow.
55:02
the healing of that gesture of a hug um to a stranger um was really something that has stuck with me.
55:14
And I remember I must have been maybe five.
55:15
Like, the fact that I remember that, and I always wanted to go back and be a hugger.
55:19
Um so, just that lesson of like giving back, volunteering, community uh was ingrained in the DNA of who me and all my sisters are.
55:29
So, regardless of being famous, I knew that was my destiny and my role and my responsibility.
55:35
And then the fact that I became famous and had this platform to talk about and shine a light and give a voice and all of that stuff was really just a natural evolution cuz I was doing it anyway. Yes.
55:47
Um so I was really grateful for the microphone that I ended up receiving so I could do more of what I was already doing.
55:55
What my family has always been doing.
55:57
And And so yeah, people a lot of times want to go No, like when what what got you philanthropic?
56:02
I'm like, oh god, no, that's since I was a kid. Yeah.
56:04
And the other thing that uh that I do uh I manifest a lot of things. Mhm.
56:12
And I remember moving here in 1998 and walking in Hollywood Boulevard.
56:17
I wanted to live in Hollywood cuz when I wrote home, I wanted the address on the envelope to say Hollywood, California. Yeah.
56:25
Um not knowing Hollywood was like really ghetto-y at that time. Now it's like chic. Not sure.
56:34
Um but I I was walking on Hollywood Boulevard and I was looking at all the stars on the Walk of Fame and I said, one day I'm going to have a star here.
56:42
I'm going to have a star.
56:42
And I picked the spot and I said it's going to be right here and this empty This is an empty one.
56:46
I'm going to It's going to be right here.
56:47
And 20 years to the day I got my star on the Walk of Fame probably 5 ft from where I No.
56:56
said that to the universe. You don't get to pick.
56:58
No, you don't get to pick.
56:59
Yeah, you don't get to pick. You don't get to pick.
57:00
They go it was 5 ft away from that one.
57:03
5 ft away from where I stood on the corner of La Brea and Hollywood Boulevard.
57:06
I was like, it's going to be right here.
57:07
And mine, you know, mine's like 5 ft from where I said.
57:11
And so that's something I I believe in.
57:14
But it's also more than that.
57:14
Like, you know, people go, I'm going to be a star.
57:18
Okay, well, you got to put the work in. Yeah.
57:20
And we've talked about that.
57:20
Let's let's not get Yeah, you you've done that. Yeah.
57:23
Um but just first visualizing it, saying it is really the two biggest steps.
57:29
And I think for women, too, you know, there's not a lot of female directors, there's not a lot of female females behind the camera like there should be.
57:40
Um, and a lot of that is because, you know, we don't want to even say it out loud cuz that might be I might be full of myself, but I should be a writer. I should be a director. I should say it.
57:50
Say it, do it, give yourself permission because that's the first step.
57:55
Then you Then you go into your plan of how to how to accomplish it, but the first step is just you know, verbalize it.
58:03
Verbalize it, visualize it, and then say it. Yeah.
58:06
Visualize, verbalize, and and and yeah, I always feel like you have to feel it and mean it when you say it.
58:13
Like, if you're going to believe it, you have to feel it and mean it for sure because Yeah.
58:17
that's what I think the difference is in what you're saying of like, "Yeah, I'm it's going to happen for me."
58:19
And like, you know, it's whereas like, "No, this is it."
58:22
But and then following it up.
58:24
And I think that's what I love about manifestation is that the visualization and verbalizing, but then also backing it up with focused action. Right.
58:32
Focused action and um I always say like, curate your day, right?
58:38
So, like, does what I'm doing today lead to that goal?
58:43
And there's so much you do in the day that is not leading to what you are trying to manifest.
58:46
And so, all of that energy is being burnt up towards something that you don't even want.
58:50
And that's why some people wake up in marriages that they never wanted and jobs they never wanted.
58:56
They're like, "What happened?"
58:58
Cuz you were putting so much energy into this thing and instead of the other. Yeah.
59:02
And that's why I think our intention is such a strong compass as well because if you're not doing it for a deep reason, you can get there and actually feel disappointed. Yeah. Yeah.
59:13
it for a deep reason, you'll get there and realize there's so much more to do and you keep going.
59:16
But otherwise, most people if you don't have a deep intention, you may never get there.
59:19
And so, then you feel you still keep thinking, "Oh, there was something there."
59:23
Or you get there and then you're disappointed.
59:24
And we see that a lot where people get the name and the fame and the money and the star and everything, but then you still feel like oh well Yeah.
59:30
it didn't it didn't add up.
59:32
Yeah, cuz it wasn't what your intention driven by anything else.
59:35
But I the other thing I learned about intention, which was like another aha moment for me was your actions have to match your intentions, right?
59:44
So you know people go, oh I didn't intend to hurt you.
59:45
That wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings, but your actions did hurt me.
59:52
So your actions have to match your intention and and I really use that as another mantra to go, well my intention is to do this, what action do I have to do towards that? Correct. Mhm. Absolutely. I love that. Eva, you're amazing. You are awesome.
1:00:10
Thank you for doing this with a sore throat, having done so much press.
1:00:12
You have to do Colbert tonight, you were saying. Conan. Conan, sorry. I'll take that back. Let's forget that.
1:00:17
It's going to be all right.
1:00:19
You're doing Conan tonight as well, which is just insane.
1:00:21
So thank you for being here.
1:00:23
We end every interview with what I call the final five.
1:00:25
This is the final five rapid fire quick fire round.
1:00:28
So you can only answer in one word or one sentence.
1:00:30
One word or one sentence. Yeah. Okay. Okay, go. Ready? Okay, so here we go.
1:00:34
Number one, one of your favorite moments on set.
1:00:36
You can answer in a sentence. On set?
1:00:40
Yeah, one of your favorite moments of all time.
1:00:41
I know it's a hard question.
1:00:42
Oh gosh, I've had so many great moments. Okay, hold on. Let me think. Yeah.
1:00:48
We're not going to call the directors or the producers.
1:00:50
Oh you know, I think Oh god, this is now that's a story.
1:00:53
It's doing Desperate Housewives the day after our premiere Okay. in 2004. Amazing. Yeah. I remember watching it.
1:01:01
I can't believe it, 2004. Wow.
1:01:04
I'll never forget the day cuz it was the producer called and they go, we're a hit. And I go, okay.
1:01:08
I didn't know what that meant. Yeah. I love that. That's awesome.
1:01:14
not know what change was in store for my life. Great story. I love that. Okay, second question.
1:01:20
What do you love most about Santi? His soul. His soul.
1:01:25
He has a really pure soul. Love that.
1:01:27
Question number three, the movie you've rewatched the most.
1:01:28
Doesn't have to be one of yours.
1:01:32
Uh, definitely not one of mine. Uh, there's a couple.
1:01:37
Casino, Steel Magnolias, Soapdish. Ah, interesting.
1:01:43
Okay, all I haven't seen. What?
1:01:46
You've never seen Casino? No, I haven't.
1:01:47
You've given me a great list.
1:01:49
Instinct, or Romancing the Stone, or The Color Purple?
1:01:51
I'm leaving this room right now and going to watch it. Okay, great. Magnolias, hello. Okay, I have not. Dolly Parton. No, I've not seen it. Ugh, Lord. Great.
1:01:59
Nine to Five is another one. Okay. I love it. Okay, awesome.
1:02:01
Number four, your favorite dish to cook. Anything Mexican.
1:02:04
Okay, I love Mexican food.
1:02:07
Yeah, I'm a big You have invited me over for dinner once.
1:02:09
I couldn't make it, so I'm now going to invite myself, because Mexican food is literally my favorite food.
1:02:15
Great, we'll do we'll do taco night. Okay, great.
1:02:16
And the fifth and final question, which I think I'm going to give you more than one sentence to answer, because I think you'll answer it beautifully.
1:02:22
Uh, one thing we can all do today to make the world a better place.
1:02:26
The one thing, the one one practice, the one mantra, the one habit that you think the world could adopt on a daily basis to make the world a better place.
1:02:37
What I'm usually saying is look around you.
1:02:40
The biggest myth about philanthropy is that you have to be rich and famous to make a difference. That is not true.
1:02:45
If you look at the biggest organizations in the world, it was started by an angry mom, uh, a frustrated, uh, co-worker, you know, uh, saw an injustice that happened to somebody.
1:02:58
Like, those leaders, um, were inspired to do something bigger because they experienced something.
1:03:05
And so, I always say, you know, look at your neighbor, see if they have needs, look across the street, look in your community.
1:03:12
You don't have to cure AIDS.
1:03:15
You don't have to solve global warming.
1:03:18
You don't have to like you know sometimes the world's problems feel so big and you go I'm not going to make a dent so I'm going to drink out of this plastic bottle.
1:03:24
It's like no let's why don't you just do that?
1:03:26
Stop using plastic bottles.
1:03:28
Yeah, don't use plastic straws.
1:03:30
Like there's so many tiny tiny tiny things that do make a difference and I think that goes across everything.
1:03:36
People feel that way about our democracy like my vote doesn't count.
1:03:39
There's so many people and it's like no it does.
1:03:40
You know me recycling one person recycling doesn't count. It does.
1:03:45
You know me meditating for the world, praying for the world.
1:03:50
It's not going to matter.
1:03:50
It does cuz when you have a collective movement of any sort it's going to to move mountains and so we do need your individual energy and and your individual intention and love towards anything anything.
1:04:09
You don't have to look far and you'll find somebody or something in need. I love that. Yeah.
1:04:15
What a beautiful message to end on. Thank you so much. Eva thank you so much. is it been an hour yet? Yeah that's it. Yeah that's it.
1:04:20
I hope you had a lot of fun doing it. It was so much fun.
1:04:23
Everyone who's been watching or listening at home or whether you're walking your dog or you're cooking or you're at the gym or you're commuting, I want you to from your heart literally listen to this podcast again if you have to but just find that message that stood with you.
1:04:35
There are so many lessons that are hidden away beautifully and gracefully in in Eva's life and I really hope that today we've been able to unearth some of those gems and you're going to find the ones that mean something to you and you're just going to choose one practice or one habit or one thought and just make one change in your life.
1:04:50
That's all you have to do just pick one thing and let us know on Instagram which one you're going to pick too cuz I want to see what you're unearthing from all of these gems in Eva's life and Eva thank you.
1:04:58
You're you're incredible.
1:04:58
I'm so excited to continue our friendship.
1:05:02
And I'm just so grateful to you honestly. Thank you so much. so happy. This was so fun.
1:05:04
This is the best way to to get to know somebody quickly. It is. Mhm. It's awesome. Thank you so much.
1:05:11
And everyone go check out Eva across everywhere.
1:05:13
Mainly Instagram cuz she says lots of cute stuff on there. I have lots of stories. Yeah, exactly.
1:05:18
Go and check her out on Instagram. Go, go, go.
1:05:19
Follow her on Instagram for sure. Thank you so much, Eva. Thank you.
1:05:22
If you want even more videos just like this one, make sure you subscribe and click on the boxes over here.
1:05:28
I'm also excited to let you know that you can now get my book Think Like a Monk from thinklikeamonkbook. com.
1:05:37
Check below in the description to make sure you order today.