[IMG:L]You have to pity a girl who’s a self-proclaimed telenovella addict and just can’t schedule in the time to take in any of the steamy Spanish-language soap operas – the kind that inspired the American sensation Ugly Betty – that she craves.
“Between the ALMAs and my wedding and Desperate Housewives I don’t have any time,” laments Eva Longoria.
Yeah, we’re done feeling sorry for her, too. But even amid all her romantic and professional successes, Longoria made certain to carve out time to not only host but also produce the 2007 ALMA Awards, which air June 5 on her show’s home network, ABC. Named for the Spanish word for “spirit” or “soul,” the ALMAs were created by the National Council of La Raza, the country’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, to honor fair, accurate, balanced and progressive depictions of Latinos in the entertainment industry.
Longoria has been a tireless supporter of the ALMAs who, despite all over her mainstream appeal, is determined to honor and celebrate her Mexican heritage. “It’s everything that I am. It’s who I am,” said the actress. “It’s my music, my food, my language – it’s everything. I grew up in a very strong Mexican family in Texas, and everything I do, charity-wise and giving back to my community, revolves around my ethnicity.”
Hollywood.com: What can we expect from this year’s ALMA Awards show?
Eva Longoria: You can expect a great time. You know Latinos like to party [laughs]. So you can expect a really fun, fun show. And it’s not like your normal awards show, because it’s got a Latin flair to it, so it’s definitely a little more exciting.
HW: How deeply involved are you in the ALMAs?
EL: I am an executive producer of the ALMA Awards and I’ve been involved since they’ve started, back in the day. I used to be a seat-filler, and then I actually got on a television show, The Young and the Restless, and was nominated for an ALMA, won an ALMA and then they went away for a couple of years. And then I was part of bringing them back to ABC. I’m also the host, and so I will be bringing out many of our wonderful presenters this year. And I’m involved in every aspect from booking the talent to the stage sets and the selling of the ad space and the buying of the time, and it’s been a very involved process every year.
HW: What made you want to be a producer on the ALMAs?
EL: Well, I’m a control freak, so I like to control everything I do, and if I don’t, then it’s hard for me to be a part of it [laughs]. But it really came from that I wanted to be sure that we portrayed the right image and a current image of who Latinos are in the media today. And being one of them, I felt like I had a good view of that. I like to write my own stuff, I like to help with the music and the booking and the presenters and with the shot list, and so I’m really kind of obsessed with producing. I love that aspect of the job.
HW: Overall, do you think Latino representation in film, TV and music is more widespread then before, or is it staying the same?
EL: It’s funny, because when we were doing the nomination process for the ALMAs this year, it was amazing to do because we have the most Latinos in television that we’ve had in the history of television. The nominees went on and on and on, and the eligible people for nominees were so much more than any other year, so obviously there’s been a change in television for us in a good way. We still have a ways to go, but it was a nice positive thing to see.
HW: Would it be necessary to have a specific award for Latinos in an ideal world?
EL: I think the main point that the ALMAs are there for, is to reinforce positive images of Latinos in the media, because of the work that the National Council often does. And because politics are often shaped by the image that the people have of us, the only image they get is our music, our actors, our movies, our TV shows. And so because of that, the ALMAs get to show the American people, the Latino people, all the people of America, just exactly all of the great things and the great contributions that we do. So for us, the point of the ALMAs is not to have a segregated awards show; the point of the ALMAs is to provide a better image of ourselves and to recognize everybody who is doing wonderful, positive things – so that NCLR has the power to change policy in Washington, so that NCLR has an easier job getting immigration passed, so that NCLR will be able to get better healthcare and insurance for our people. Because then if they see that we’re not this image that they show on CNN all the time, protesting in the streets because of immigration, and they see that “Oh my gosh, there’s this wonderful show called George Lopez.” Or a show called Ugly Betty and there’s this great family there on that show, and they can start to relate to other images than the negative ones that are often out there.
HW: On a more frivolous note, what designers will you be wearing during the show?
EL: We have a whole list and that’s a surprise, so you’ll have to tune in on the ALMAs in order to find out! But we do have an amazing list of Latino designers, and we’re doing a contest online to see whose dress everybody likes the most. We’ve actually got some obvious names, and then we have some up-and-comers that are gonna get a shot at having me wear their gown, so we’re really excited about that aspect of it.
HW: Last year you opened the show shimmying with Roslyn Sanchez, Carmen Electra, Constance Marie and Paulina Rubio. Will you be doing another dance number this year?
EL: I will be doing a dance number again this year. I’m actually exhausted from rehearsals. [laughs] I’m very excited about it. We’re opening the show with Dancing With the Stars‘ professional dancers, the pros: Karina Smirnoff, Maksim [Chmerkovskiy] and Cheryl Burke and a lot of the recognizable faces from that show. And then Mario Lopez and I will be joining them. I’m really excited.
HW: What’s been the most challenging part of getting ready for the dance routine? How has Mario helped you through it?
EL: [laughs] Oh God, the most challenging part is time – we actually don’t have a lot of time to rehearse, and thank God Mario‘s pretty much a natural dancer. And we have an amazing coach, Karina Smirnoff, so we’ve been really lucky to be able to work with her and kind of sneak in some rehearsals. That’s been the biggest challenge. But having Mario as a natural dancer has been a tremendous help.
HW: This year you have a few non-Latin musical performers scheduled to appear, most notably Beyonce and Prince.
EL: The point of our entertainment aspect – and presenters as well – is to diversify the show, so it’s not just a Latin show. We can show that we Latinos buy CDs from Beyonce, Latinos buy CDs from Prince, and both of these two guests in particular have done a lot of work in the Latin community musically. Beyonce has her Spanish album out, and Prince has done a lot of music with Latin artists, and so we kind of wanted to mesh that together and cross over in the general market and show that a mainstream artist can be Latin. And specifically, music is very universal, so we like to be all-inclusive when it comes to that.
HW: What advice do you give Latina actresses who are searching for the level of success you’ve had?
EL: [We] have the ALMAs so that a lot of up and coming or aspiring actresses can have people to look up to and have role models to see accomplishing amazing things. That’s why we do the ALMAs – to be able to have a positive portrayal of Latinos in the media, whether it’s music or television or film. Everybody has to find their own path and their own recipe for this, because there is no recipe for success. It’s just a really, really tough environment to succeed, especially as a Latino. So any advice I would give future Latinos wanting to do anything – whether it’s being a dentist, a doctor, or an actor or a lawyer – is education, and just to be sure and get educated in whatever they want to do, whatever that is.
HW: Are there any personal struggles you went through as an up-and-coming Latina actress?
EL: Yeah, the biggest struggle that I think we’ve all faced in the industry is just the lack of jobs, and the fact that there are so many less jobs for Latino actors as there are for other ethnicities. But that’s changing a lot, given that there are more Latino producers and writers and directors behind the camera. The more that we have working behind the cameras, the better the opportunities will be in front of the camera.
HW: Have you considered getting involved behind the camera as well?
EL: I do have a production company, and we have a couple things in development now. I’m definitely on that, yeah. That’s definitely a passion of mine, producing.
HW: As a performer and producer, is it difficult to decide which way to go with the projects you want to take on, either going deeper in to the Latin culture and stories for material, or putting Latin characters in more mainstream fare? Is that a fine line for you to walk?
EL: No, actually, I don’t really look at it. I’m pretty colorblind when I choose projects to produce or to act in. I actually look for a universal story that’s gonna touch everyone. Whether it’s a comedy or a drama, if it’s something a human can relate to, then that’s what draws me to it, not so much the color line.
HW: Who do you look at as a role model?
EL: I grew up with Rita Moreno in West Side Story, and of course Edward James Olmos. Elizabeth Pena I’ve watched forever and admired her work. But there’s so many people that have paved the way before me, like Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez. So we have a lot to be grateful for, especially the new people now – not so new, but the younger generation of Eva Mendes and Roselyn Sanchez. There’s a lot happening out there.
HW: How do you think your Desperate Housewives character Gabrielle fits in as a role model?
EL: [laughs] I think Gabrielle definitely has a negative side, but she’s definitely a strong, ambitious independent woman who has really broken a stereotype of what you usually see on television for Latinos. So I’m definitely proud of her, even with that.
