Eva Longoria says Land of Women role is "so different" to Desperate Housewives
Longoria returns to the world of TV, but does her new role have any echoes of Gabrielle Solis?
Returning to front a TV series after a decade, Eva Longoria is back on our screens at last in a starring role for Apple TV+'s Land of Women.
Of course, when you mention such a name as Longoria's, it's not long before thought turns to another major show that she co-led as fiery Desperate Housewives character, Gabrielle Solis.
With talks continuing to bubble about whether or not a reboot of Desperate Housewives will ever happen one day, there's certainly set to be a crop of Land of Women viewers that may draw a similarity or two between Longoria's new character of Gala to Gaby.
But are there any similarities to be drawn between the two characters at all? When asked that very question by RadioTimes.com in an exclusive chat about the series, Longoria admitted: “No, I actually think they’re so different.
"Gaby was very strong, Gaby was – she knew what she wanted, she manipulated a lot of people to get what she wanted, she was very comfortable being wealthy and stuck up, where Gala doesn’t know what she wants."
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Speaking about her new character of Gala, Longoria continued: "She’s terribly insecure, she doesn’t have purpose in her life, she’s only the arm candy of her husband with no voice. I think Gaby had a very strong voice and so, what I liked about Gala’s journey in this show was where she ends up.
"She, like I said, doesn’t have any purpose and then is thrown into a country she’s never been, speaking a language she’s never really spoken. She has to hide and protect her family and she has to provide for her family, she’s never done any of these things.
"And when you’re thrown into the fire like that and you’re tested, who you come out as is really telling. And so, by the sixth episode, she is so proud, like, ‘I did have it in me, all along I’ve had this strength in me and I never knew that’. And she never would’ve known that if she wasn’t forced into discovering it.”
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The new series sees Longoria and her fellow cast speak largely in Castilian Spanish, with Longoria also serving as an executive producer on the new dramedy. The six-part series follows Gala as she's forced to leave New York once she learns of her husband's dodgy dealings.
Deciding to venture to Spain where her mother Julia (Carmen Maura) grew up, Gala goes on a new adventure with Julia and teenage daughter Kate (Victoria Bazúa).
While she can't tell them exactly why they're going on an unexpected trip, Gala hopes they'll be able to live undetected in the small northern Spanish town where wine production is the main source of income and local gossip is rife.
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Aside from her new starring role in the Apple TV+ series, Longoria is also set to be one of the starry new cast additions in the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building, alongside the likes of Eugene Levy and Zach Galifianakis.
As for Desperate Housewives fans, Longoria recently told ET that she "would be the first to sign up for the reboot". Mentioning series creator Marc Cherry, she said: "I've told him a hundred times. I was like, 'Let's do it again. I miss Wisteria Lane. I miss the girls. I miss Gaby Solis. I miss being her.'"
Land of Women premieres on Apple TV+ on Wednesday 26th June. Desperate Housewives is available to stream on Disney Plus.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
