Don’t wish to participate in the race of staying relevant — Eva Longoria

Mumbai, Sep. 6 (PTI): Hollywood star Eva Longoria wears multiple hats – she’s an actor, producer, director, activist and entrepreneur – and says her efforts are motivated by her love for work, not by the need to stay relevant.

The 45-year-old actor said though her film and philanthropic work keep her in the news, that’s not her goal.

She recently came on board to support LaLiga football league and interacted with select journalists over a Zoom call from Mexico.

Longoria said improving the lives of people around the world is the mission of her life.

“The struggle to remain relevant is like, I don’t wish to participate in that race. To be relevant is not a goal of mine. I continue to do the work I do philanthropically because it’s my passion and life’s mission to improve the lives of other people.

“Because of that it feels like I’m constantly in the news cycle. I’m fundraising somewhere, donating my time somewhere, bringing awareness somewhere,” Longoria told PTI over Zoom call.

The actor achieved global fame with the hit 2004 TV soap opera “Desperate Housewives” and transitioned to starring roles in films, such as action thriller “The Sentinel” and romantic comedy “Over Her Dead Body”.

She eventually turned producer with “The Harvest”, the 2010 Spanish documentary film on agricultural child labour in America, and tried her hand at direction, helming episodes of hit comedies like “Jane The Virgin”, “Black-ish” and the drama “Grand Hotel”.

Longoria said her creative calls are purely driven by instinct.

“Work wise I just pick the projects as they come, because I love them, it’s something I want to explore creatively. So relevance is not a goal of mine.

“My goal is to keep my head down, feet moving, keep working and doing what I love. Relevance is a by-product of that, but definitely not a goal.”

Her philanthropic work also extends to India, with Harmony House, an NGO based out of Gurugram, which she supports.

“It’s the most perfect home that feeds the kids from the slums. Every time I get a chance to go to India, I go to Harmony House, it’s fantastic,” she added.

The actor was speaking at a conference call organised by LaLiga on the unboxing of the official LaLiga ball for the 2020/2021 season.

Longoria’s interest in football led her to the Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team ‘Angel City’, which she has invested in.

The actor said football is one of the most followed sports in the world and also helps women to empower themselves.

“It’s a huge part why I am part of Angel City so that world class athletes are given the recognition they deserve, that includes women…

“I didn’t realise the ripple effects it’d have across the world. I have gotten more calls about founding a soccer team than for any of my work!” she added.

For Longoria, the decision to extend support to LaLiga also aims to bring cheer to the fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The actor said women, in particular, across the globe have been “hit harder” by the pandemic.

“Because we take the brunt of family household responsibilities… We make the decisions of schooling, we make the decisions about healthcare. We are the CEOs of our homes and I think the mental health of women needs to be nurtured.

“For me, it involves my girlfriend, my sisters, meditation. We definitely need to pay attention and take care of ourselves during this time, our mental and physical health,” she added.