Role Recall: Eva Longoria Looks Back on 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' 'Desperate Housewives,' and More

Eva Longoria is celebrating her 41st birthday today, and what better way to celebrate than to reminisce about her stellar TV career?

Yahoo TV chatted with Longoria recently to talk her NBC comedy Telenovela as well as look back on her early career. On her humble beginnings, the actress says, “I was an extra for two years on TV shows and movies — anywhere I could get my SAG vouchers to join the union.” Well, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Here are some highlights from her most memorable roles.

Beverly Hills, 90210 (2000)

In one of her first television roles, Eva guest-starred on an episode of 90210 in the 10th season titled “I Will Be Your Father Figure.” She has a quick scene with Dylan (a.k.a. Luke Perry). “I was flight attendant No. 3,” says Longoria with a laugh. “I wasn’t even No. 1 or 2, I was flight attendant No. 3.”

Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)

Longoria’s favorite episode of the entire series is the pilot, especially the scene where her character, Gabrielle Solis, mows the lawn in an evening gown. Longoria went on to spend nearly a decade of her life on the hit ABC series (it lasted for eight seasons), and once the show was over, the star says she knew it was about time: “I couldn’t have one more affair. I couldn’t sleep with one more person. Everybody on the street had dated everybody else.”

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2014-2015)

The actress was originally a fan of the hit comedy series, and she actually once said that in an interview. So when she was asked to guest-star alongside Andy Samberg as his love interest, “I was like, YES! I love that kind of comedy.”

Telenovela (2015-2016)

Longoria stars as Ana Sofia Calderon, a high-maintenance actress on a telenovela, and she’s definitely excited about it. “This is the first time I’m spreading my wings as a comedian, and as a physical comedian at that,” says Longoria.

Watch the video above to hear more from Longoria about her time on these hit series, and watch the video below to see her best telenovela faces.