Longoria first captured the world’s attention with her iconic role as Gabrielle Solis on the hit TV drama Desperate Housewives, which ran from 2004 to 2012. The series’ success skyrocketed her to stardom and also earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Longoria made her prettiest paycheck by far through Desperate Housewives, as she repeatedly renegotiated her salary as the show gained more and more viewers. By the final season, the star made a whopping $325,000 per episode and likely made closer to $375,000 with back-end additions and bonuses. This equates to about a $8.6 million salary per season.
In 2011, one year before Desperate Housewives wrapped, Longoria was deemed the highest-paid TV actress, making $13 million over 12 months.
From there, Longoria quickly expanded her work into film, starring in movies like Over Her Dead Body and The Sentinel. The celeb’s great performances eventually earned her accolades including a Screen Actors Guild Award, an ALMA Award and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
Longoria then tried producing and directing by becoming an executive producer for the series Devious Maids and directing the Season 3 finale of Black-ish.
In 2014, the mother-of-one became a savvy investor and businesswoman when she made a $6 million contribution to John Wick, a film that was struggling financially during production. She was asked to step in to save the project, and the movie went on to be a massive success, with Longoria calling it “the best money I’ve ever spent.”
In addition to her accomplishments in acting, she made a fortune in the endorsement world, landing lucrative contracts with L’Oréal Paris and PepsiCo. The brunette beauty was also paid to be a brand ambassador for Bebe Sport, Magnum Ice Cream, Heineken, Microsoft, London Fog and Lays. Longoria simultaneously started modeling and graced the covers of top magazines, including Vogue and Marie Claire.
In 2008, Longoria opened the Hollywood restaurant Beso and later expanded to Las Vegas. While the venture eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2011, it still showcased Longoria’s love for food, which she also documented in her 2011 cookbook, Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends.
As for real estate, Longoria has made notable purchases. In 2015, she bought a sprawling three-acre estate in the Hollywood Hills — previously owned by Tom Cruise — for $11.4 million, though she later sold it in 2020. She also owns an 8,600-square-foot mansion in Hollywood Dell and a luxurious gated estate in Beverly Hills, which she bought for $13.5 million in 2017. In 2023, she listed the Beverly Hills mansion for $23 million.