Eva Longoria shares how TV ‘prepared’ her for directing ‘Flamin’ Hot’

Eva Longoria had to keep a close eye on how things worked after she landed her breakout role on Desperate Housewives 20 years ago.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at Friday’s Los Angeles premiere of the movie, Longoria, 48, shared that her decade in TV “prepared [her] this moment, which is a film set.”

Longoria, who has directed TV episodes for shows including Black-ish, Jane the Virgin and Gordita Chronicles, is now directing 2023 American biographical comedy-drama film, Flamin’ Hot.

She explained that “all of my TV experience paid off because we move at a very ambitious, fast pace and this movie was very ambitious in our scheduling.”

“And I used Desperate Housewives as my film school, that’s where I really learned everything,” she continued. “We had so many directors come through there and so many episodes; 10 years on a set and I paid attention.”

The red carpet event also served as a small reunion for her Desperate Housewives co-stars as Jesse Metcalfe attended. The two hugged it out and chatted like old pals on the red carpet before continuing Longoria’s big night.

Metcalfe was main cast member in season 1 and had recurring and special guest roles until season 6 as a love interest for Longoria’s character on the show.

Longoria’s directorial tells the story of Richard Montañez, a Frito Lay janitor who says he came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

At the event, Jesse Garcia, who plays Montañez, praised the director for being “very specific on the story she wanted to tell, being very passionate about telling Richard’s story.”