The short and Longoria of it

It's not all small talk with diminutive Desperate Housewives star Eva, thanks to her movies, charity work and rather tall husband taking on the media…

EVA LONGORIA is not happy with her hair. In fact, it would be fair to say she is downright miffed with her million-dollar mane. It's hard to see what the problem is. It looks long, luscious, thick and shiny: to my eyes, the perfect head of hair. But that is the problem, she explains. Her hair is perfect – too perfect.

It has earned her an estimated £1 million from shampoo commercials for L'Oréal and is the envy of women around the globe. Yet nothing would give her more pleasure than taking a pair of scissors to her long locks.

"I am dying to have short hair but I can't because of L'Oréal and because of the show," the Desperate Housewives star explains. "I feel like a change – and there's no change so huge as cutting your hair."

But there have been some major life-changing events for Longoria in the past few years that have not involved her 'do. The biggest was in 2004, when she won the role of Gabrielle Solis, the most manipulative sexpot on Wisteria Lane. She was the only 'unknown' (she had previously had parts in soaps and played a detective in the remake of the 1970s TV series Dragnet) to be cast in a lead role, but she has held her own alongside Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross.

Since then, she agrees, her life has seemed a charmed existence. Following the international stardom that came with Desperate Housewives, she hit the big screen, most notably in the political thriller The Sentinel, with Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland. She also became one of the hottest Latina pin-ups. For two years in a row, she was top of Maxim's Hot 100 list. The magazine even created a 100-foot-high screen replica of her cover to celebrate its 100th issue.

There are more films in the offing. Longoria has said that her future is on the big screen rather than TV – and that while she enjoys Desperate Housewives, she wouldn't want to sign up for any other small-screen series. Next month, she stars in Over Her Dead Body, the story of a ghost who tries to sabotage her former boyfriend's relationship with a psychic. And alongside Charlie Sheen, she lends her voice to a character in the animated film Foodfight!, due for release later in the year.

Her personal life has played out pretty well too. She married Tony Parker, star player with the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, in a lavish ceremony in France in the summer. Parker is French but has spent many years in America. To call their wedding glittering would be an understatement. It was held in a 17th-century château and there were spectacular fireworks – and days of celebrations. The bride wore an Angel Sanchez gown, which sparkled with metallic embroidery. Penélope Cruz, Victoria Beckham and Eva Mendes were among a star-studded supporting cast.

"We wanted a huge wedding, a destination wedding – Tony thought of the castle," she says of the big production. "We wanted a week-long event with our families."

It was a contrast to Longoria's first wedding – she married General Hospital actor Tyler Christopher in 2002. "The marriage only lasted two years," says Longoria. "That's how I knew I was ready this time. I learnt the hard way… I just wasn't ready with Tyler."

She probably wasn't ready for the shock when the media claimed that her new husband was having an affair – though she knew how to deal with the rumour-mongers. Longoria and Parker have raised a £10 million legal action against a US picture agency. This issue is not on the agenda – but Longoria is happy to talk about her husband and their relationship.

Their seven-year age difference – she is 32, he is 25 – has been the subject of much speculation, though if it were the other way around, would anyone think it worthy of comment? Longoria thinks not – and it's not a problem for her. "I don't know if it is because he's French or what, but he's actually far ahead of me in years in a lot of ways – he's so disciplined and far more intelligent about money and investments," she says. "Then there are things in which I'm ahead of him, but we balance each other out really nicely, as it should be."

There's another statistic that has caused comment too: Longoria is 5ft 2ins tall and her husband is 6ft 3ins. "Tony is a wonderful, amazing person," she says. "He might be much, much taller and bigger than me but it's not a problem for us. Love is blind."

They first met after a basketball game. "Everyone laughs when I say I met Tony in the Spurs locker room. I'd taken my dad to a game, as he has been a fan of the Spurs all his life.

"We are committed to each other and to the idea that we are going to stay together." Even though their careers often keep them apart? "We both have these amazing separate lives, but they are second to being us, second to the relationship," she says, adding that even when they are apart, they are in touch several times a day.

She is never really alone, though. Jinxy, a white Maltese terrier, is rarely far away. He is not unlike his mistress: small but perfectly formed and well groomed, naturally. He likes attention – and I've heard that he has been known to get rather amorous with inanimate objects. Today, happily, he is behaving well.

Longoria also has many other people to call on. "I am really proud of my friends," she says. "All my bridesmaids I have known for at least ten years. They are my core group of friends."

Then there are some who are more high profile. "I do have a lot in common with Victoria Beckham. Both our husbands are athletes and they travel a lot. We are always calling each other.

"This business tests a lot of things about you and it does test your friendships. But it makes you a great judge of character. Victoria is so hilarious – I love funny people."

She firmly believes that there is "no better medicine than laughter" and has a fair sense of humour herself. When asked about her body and fitness regime, she deadpans, "Now that I'm married, I don't have to try so hard," before she laughs and admits that, "I've been the same weight since college." She does feel better when she works out – but doesn't do so religiously. "I grew up as an athlete. I wanted to be strong and athletic more than I wanted to be thin and beautiful."

It was just as well; growing up in Texas, she was nicknamed prieta fea – the dark, ugly one. "I was always dirty, my face black from mud, cuts and bruises everywhere," she says. "My dad raised us as tomboys. He took us hunting and camping. What it really taught us was survival and how to look after yourself."

She has three sisters. The eldest, Liza, has learning difficulties. "She was my hero growing up," says Longoria. "It was amazing to watch her overcome every obstacle – tying her shoelaces, putting on a shirt, getting out the front door. And yet she still had a job and would come home on the bus by herself and help with dinner. You could only imagine the hurdles she encountered every minute of the day."

The girls' mother, Ella, became a special-needs teacher as a result of her experiences. Liza also inspired her famous sister to set up the charity Eva's Heroes to help children and adults with learning difficulties to get the support they require.

Longoria is actively involved in supporting Latino rights too. "I embrace the responsibility of being a Latin role model – I want to walk the walk, talk the talk," she has said. She has used her fame to highlight other charities and causes. There is Padres Contra el Cancer (parents against cancer), which helps Latino children. She is also one of the key figures in the success of the American Latino Media Arts awards. Low ratings and lack of advertising meant that the awards were off air for a couple of years. When ABC asked Longoria to present the ceremony last summer, she used her L'Oréal contacts to help advertise it, and called on friends, including Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Alba, to get involved.

But fame also has its price and it's not her charity work that gets most coverage. Other staple media stories about her include that she only wears black thongs, she loves tattoos and how she favours a Brazilian wax. She finds this tiresome and says she is sick of talking about it. "With fame," she concludes, "there does come a loss of anonymity and privacy, but let's get this straight: there are so many more pros than cons to being famous. Nobody can be bothered with a celebrity who complains about being famous, and I certainly don't. My life is great."

Over Her Dead Body is on general release from February 1, while the new series of Desperate Housewives is scheduled (screenwriters' strike permitting) to be shown this spring on Channel 4.

Additional reporting Caroline Murphy