She’s back.

On Jan. 4, Eva Longoria ’13 (M.A., Chicana/o Studies) makes a bold return to TV in the new sitcom Telenovela. Airing Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC, the show is a behind-the-scenes look at the often-funny happenings of a tight-knit crew working on a fictional Spanish-language soap opera.

Longoria plays Ana Sofia Calderon, the star of the show and the heartbeat of this comedy. What the star likes about the show’s concept is that, “it’s so inclusive to show people that these experiences are universal, about family, friendship and loyalty. At the end of the day, it’s just funny,” she said in an exclusive interview for the upcoming edition of CSUN Magazine.

During the interview, Longoria discussed a variety of subjects, including what drew her back to school and earn her master’s degree at California State University, Northridge. She was very candid in talking about stepping back onto a college campus while still filming the hit show, Desperate Housewives.

“I was terrified,” Longoria recalled. “I’m on the No. 1 TV show in the world. I don’t have time to do this, but for some reason you make time. I’d have to go to class, 7 to 10 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after shooting. And it was so fulfilling in a way I couldn’t even imagine. The reason I wanted to do it was because I wanted to understand the immigration issue better. But you can’t understand where we’re going if you don’t know where we came from. This history is important, and that’s what really motivated me to finish my master’s.”

Arts and Culture, Chicano/a Studies, College of Humanities, Featured