PHOTOGRAPHED WITH SON SANTI AT HER IDYLLIC HOME IN MARBELLA EVA LONGORIA TELLS HELLO! ABOUT HER SPANISH HERITAGE, HER PASSION FOR GIVING BACK AND HOW MOTHERHOOD CHANGED HER LIFE

Almost 20 years have gone by since the event that changed Eva Lon goria’s life forever: the 2004 première of Desperate Housewives. In her role as the irrepressible, unforgettable Gabrielle Solis, Eva gave life to what was at the time a groundbreaking character on television: a millionaire Latina who lived in the biggest and most luxurious house on Wisteria Lane.

-  MARTA GORDILLO

Today, the Texas beauty queen of Mexican origin – who arrived in Hollywood with the title of Miss Corpus Christi and two dollars in her pocket – is a Tinseltown fixture who works tirelessly to give visibility to the Latino community, help families and empower women through opportunities and education.

“Desperate Housewives made me a global superstar,” the actress and director, 48, tells Hello!, “and with that came a lot of influence. I will always be grateful for the opportunity I got.”

That influence has enabled Eva to give back through her charities and initiatives, including the Global Gift Foundation – of which she’s honorary president – and Casa Angeles, which helps children with special needs.

Both organizations are based in Marbella, where she’s found her “dream home” that she shares with her husband of seven years, Mexican businessman Pepe Baston, and their son, five-year-old Santiago Enrique. “I feel at home in Spain,” says Eva, whose father, Enrique, a nobleman by birth, hails from the country’s Asturias region. “I really love it.”

Here, giving us a rare glimpse inside her Mediterranean paradise, Eva opens up to Hello! about finding her second home, the importance of giving back, and realizing her long-held dream of motherhood.