After graduation, Longoria won an Infinity Model Search contest, which led to her discovery by a theatrical agent. She soon found herself in bit parts on television, including an episode of “Beverly Hills, 90210” (Fox, 1990-2000), and eventually was cast as Isabella Brana on the long-running daytime soap opera, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS, 1972- ). Longoria was honored with an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama in 2002 for her work on the soap. Meanwhile, she hosted “The Talent Agency” (2003), a syndicated talent show that came and went without so much as a whimper. In “Hot Tamales Live”, a Pay-Per-View comedy special hosted by Kiki Melendez, Longoria got the chance to display her comic talents. But despite growing exposure, Longoria failed to make herself a household name. That would soon change.
Longoria landed her first regular series role as Detective Vanessa Cruz on “L.A. Dragnet” (ABC, 2002-2004). Joining the cast after a major restructuring in 2003, Longoria enjoyed the role for only one season—the series was canceled in April 2004. But her luck changed when she signed on to “Desperate Housewives” (ABC, 2004- ), a run-away hit that took many in Hollywood by surprise. A dark comedy about the lives of five housewives in the same cul-de-sac as told by a friend who committed suicide, “Desperate Housewives” went from an unwanted spec script written by Chuck Pratt (“Melrose Place”) and Marc Cherry (“The Golden Girls”) to the hottest show on television.
The show was honored when the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFP) announced its Golden Globe nominations—it received five, including Best Television Series-Comedy. Four of the five lead actresses also received nominations, but Longoria’s name was missing from the list. She felt the snub was due to her not attending the HFP Luncheon because of a dying aunt in Texas. Her co-stars, however, offered Longoria their support and disappointment, an act of graciousness not lost on her. Meanwhile, she ventured into feature films with “Harsh Times” (2005), a drama starring Christian Bale as a soldier returning from Iraq. She also appeared as Jenny in the supernatural mystery, “The Dead Will Tell” (2004), a made-for-television movie that aired on CBS in October 2004.