Eva Longoria Says the 'Generational Trauma' She Has Felt as a Latina Filmmaker Fueled Her To Make 'Flamin' Hot'

Throughout her career, Eva Longoria has always been a Latina trailblazer. From standout roles in shows like Desperate Housewives to her showing the world her Mexican heritage in Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico, the actress has been the perfect example of what Latinx talent and strength can look like in Hollywood.

Most recently, Longoria got candid about being a Latina actress and filmmaker at the Kering Women in Motion talk at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. During the talk, Longoria, who’s about to have her directorial debut in the upcoming movie Flamin’ Hot, wasn’t afraid to call out the sexist and misogynistic industry around her.

“You really carry the generational traumas with you into the making of the film,” Longoria said of her upcoming release, per Variety. “For me, it fueled me. I was determined.”

Flamin’ Hot, out June 9, tells the surprising story of Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor who went on to create the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

“We don’t get a lot of bites at the apple,” Longoria said about fellow Latina directors. She then went on to admit that though Flamin’ Hot isn’t a “$2 million” low-budget production, it wasn’t a $100 million big production either. “When was the last Latina-directed studio film? It was like 20 years ago. We can’t get a movie every 20 years,” she said.

Longoria then called out the main difference between her and other white male directors: the ability to fail. “The problem is if this movie fails, people go, ‘Oh Latino stories don’t work…female directors really don’t cut it.’ We don’t get a lot of at-bats,” she explained. “A white male can direct a $200 million film, fail and get another one. That’s the problem. I get one at-bat, one chance, work twice as hard, twice as fast, twice as cheap.”

Getting to know just a glimpse of what went into making this project, we can’t wait to tune into Flamin’ Hot when it’s out. After all, the more we support, the more we’ll see these Latinx stories on screen again.

Before you go, click here to see celebrity women of color share the first movie or TV character who made them feel seen.