INTERVIEW
Michael Peña, Eva Longoria,
Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez
and Jeff Wahlberg in Dora And
The Lost City of GoldWith husband
José and son
SantiagoNicollette Sheridan,
Felicity Huffman, Marcia
Cross and Eva in
Desperate Housewives●SFoundation, which hosts fundraising events
around the world. In October, she will be a guest
of honour at the Global Gift Gala in London,
which is supported by her celebrity friends,
including Victoria Beckham, who was
a witness at Eva and 51-year-old José’s civil
marriage ceremony in May 2016. The couple
recently holidayed with the Beckhams in Miami
when a cute photo of Harper cuddling Santi
appeared on social media.
Conversation turns to the couple’s third
wedding anniversary and twice-divorced Eva- she was married to US soap actor Tyler
Christopher from 2002 to 2004 and basketball
player Tony Parker between 2007 and 2011 - swoons as she recalls the unbelievably
romantic celebration.
“We go to the same restaurant every
year called Chez Bruno in the mountains in
Saint-Tropez. Its speciality is truffles and it’s the
most romantic place you’ve ever been,” she says.
“You have to take a helicopter to get there, it’s
hidden, it’s just stunning and this year we got to
take Santi with us, so it was very, very special.”
Acting, directing, producing and fundraising
while being a hands-on mum and an adoring wife
to José, president of Latino media company
Televisa, Eva seems capable of doing it all and
credits her own mother for teaching her how to
balance a happy home life with 101 other
commitments.
“She just did it with ease and grace,” says Eva.
“She taught me a work ethic – you just get it
done. She didn’t complain one day of her life.
She also taught me resourcefulness: ‘If you don’t
know it, figure it out, learn it.’ That was probably
the most valuable lesson.”
Learning about herself came later on in
life, in 2007 to be exact, the year she
began receiving guidance from mind, body
and soul guru Deepak Chopra who, says Eva,
is “really responsible” for helping her discover
her “authentic self”.
To the spiritually unversed, Eva explains this
as becoming “really grounded in who you are”
and not letting yourself be defined by anyone else
or their standards. The media or press in
her case.
Authenticity is a running theme of Dora And The
Lost City Of Gold. The go get ’em lead character,
played by Isabela Moner, isn’t shy about being
her true self. She is bright, slightly naive and
sees the best in everyone. In Eva’s words, Dora
is “the moral compass” of the movie and she
hopes Santi will be the same when he grows up.
“To be him, to not be afraid of where you come
from or what you are and who you are,” she says.
Ask Eva when she is most happy and she
doesn’t hesitate, “In the mornings when I wake
up with Santi. His smile and his laugh and his
early morning demeanour make my heart
explode. He wakes up, we eat breakfast together,
we’ll have a cuddle, we play.”
It seems a suitable moment to enquire about
Eva and José’s future family plans. Eva is
stepmother to José’s three children from his first
marriage – she has described them as her “three
little gifts” – but is another baby Bastón on the
horizon?
“Not now, no. I can’t see that now,” replies
Eva, denying adoption is on the cards either.
“I don’t know. I’ve just had Santi so I’m really
enjoying my time with him.” Eva smiles before
considering a final question about her hopes for
the future. “I keep dreaming new dreams and
new goals and trying to reach them,” she says.
“I’ll know I’m done when I’m done.”Dora And The Lost City Of Gold is in
cinemas from Friday.GETTY IMAGES