Eva Longoria quietly worked as a headhunter while on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless, because she did not want to be a struggling actress.
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a part-time headhunter while on The Young and the Restless.
The 51-year-old entertainer scouted talent, negotiated salaries and finalised placement deals for a temp agency, and Eva still did that work from her dressing room of the CBS soap opera – in which she played Isabella Brana from 2001 until 2003 – as she refused to be a struggling actress.
Eva recalled to Fortune: “The first day I landed in LA, I got a job. I was like, ‘I’m not going to be a struggling actor. I’m going to figure this out.'”
Speaking about headhunting whilst on The Young and the Restless, she continued: “In my dressing room, I was doing the headhunting. I was negotiating 401(k)s and salaries, interviewing and reading resumes and placing people. And then they would be like, ‘Eva, ready on set.'”
The actress quietly worked two jobs for years before she gave up the corporate role after she bagged a pay rise during her third year on The Young and the Restless, which made acting financially viable for Eva.
She added: “I knew I could always go back to corporate America if acting didn’t work out.”
Eva’s boss at the temp agency told her to stick to the day job rather than pursue acting.
She recalled: “He never understood why I didn’t stay in corporate America. It just wasn’t my calling, but I was really great at it.
“Everybody was surprised because I built this small business within his business, and he kept saying, ‘Why would you want to be an actress? You’re so good at business; it’s a one in a million chance you’re going to be successful at acting.’
“And I said, ‘I know—and I’m the one in a million.'”
In 2004, Eva landed her breakout role as Gabrielle Solis on all eight seasons of ABC’s Desperate Housewives.
After the mystery comedy-drama ended in 2012, she continued to grace the big and small screen in the likes of the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the 2018 comedy-drama movie, Overboard.
Eva made her feature-length directorial debut with the 2023 comedy-drama flick, Flamin’ Hot.
In addition to acting, she re-entered the business world, launching TV and film firm UnbeliEVAble Entertainment in. 2005, and luxury tequila brand Casa Del Sol in 2021.
And Eva – who has an estimated net worth of $80 million – always thought she would be a success.
In March, the star told People: “So many people have guided me in my life. I have nine aunts, three sisters and 18 female cousins. I was surrounded by smart, independent and successful women.
“I didn’t have to look far to see the woman I wanted to be. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be like my sisters. I’m going to be like my mom.’
“That instilled in me this idea that I always knew I would be successful. I didn’t know what I was going to do – whether I would be a dentist or a lawyer – but I knew I’d be successful. And that came from the community around me.”
Eva Longoria secretly worked second career while on The Young and the Restless
