Eva Longoria has drawn the ire of former Young and the Restless co-star Eric Braeden after she revealed she kept her soap opera occupation a secret with a second job she was holding at the time.
During a recent interview with Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, Longoria, 48, claimed she continues to work as a headhunter at a temp agency to supplement the salary she was earning at The Young and the Restless.
Longoria described how she kept her acting career a secret from clients because she didn’t want them to think “some stupid actress” was “handling her accounts.”
Braeden, who has been with Young and the Restless since 1980, took offense at her comments, calling them “derogatory” and insisting she simply didn’t have what it took to “survive” the intense medium.
“EVA LONGORIA: You just made snide remarks about daytime actors! You just weren’t good enough to withstand the pressure of this medium! You were very lucky to be on this ‘housewives’ show!’ the 81-year-old actor tweeted.
‘Disparaging remarks’: Eva Longoria has drawn the ire of former ‘Young and the Restless’ co-star Eric Braeden after she revealed she kept her soap opera career a secret at her 9-5 job because of fears that they didn’t want a ‘stupid actress’ working for them
“You did a show in 8-12 days with mediocre but salacious dialogue! Our actresses would circle you!! And they did then!! From Robert di Nero to who they all are, many of them got their start in the medium you vilify! It shows a complete lack of class!!’ he tweeted.
After a fan asked if Longoria planned to apologize, Eric replied: “She doesn’t need to apologize! I just reacted to that when I saw CNN and CHRIS WALLACE I respect!
“But if the soap medium is vilified by anyone, I will go after them! This is the toughest medium for an actor, PERIOD!!! Be damn proud of it!!!’
When a fan pointed out that they didn’t think Eva really criticized soap actors, Braeden insisted he was questioning the “obvious embarrassment” she felt about the role.
“Well, it’s the obvious embarrassment she feels at her unsuccessful attempt! THAT annoys me! Be proud of your past efforts! But you’re right, there’s this sense of what we do, entertaining MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD EVERY DAY, than any less than!’ he continued.
Longoria portrayed the character of Isabella Brana on Young And The Restless from 2001-2003. She revealed to Wallace that she had a second job as a headhunter for a temp agency at the time of filming.
“I was so good at it that getting Young And The Restless to make a living from being an actor didn’t pay me well. So I continued to be Headhunter and Young And The Restless,” she recalls.
Soap Star: Longoria played the character of Isabella Brana on Young And The Restless from 2001 to 2003
“Our actresses would run rings around you!” The actor took Longoria to task after her interview
,That annoys me!’ When one fan tried to defend Longoria, he insisted he really had issues with the “apparent embarrassment” she felt about the role
She then revealed that she would “hide the fact that I was on Young And The Restless from my clients because they, you know, they didn’t want to be like some stupid actress running their accounts.”
“And once one of my clients said, ‘You look like a girl I saw on a soap opera.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t know who that is,'” she said.
“I was like the opposite of a publicist’s dream. I said, “Don’t tell anyone I’m on this show” because I’m still making more money from my job.
Later in 2004 she was cast on the hit series Desperate Housewives and stated that the recognition she received through the show was both “surreal and funny”.
The beauty has been gearing up for the release of her upcoming project, titled Searching For Mexico, which will premiere later this month on March 26 on CNN. The show is based on Stanley Tucci’s hit series Searching For Italy.
Explaining to Wallace that Mexico is more than “tacos and tequila,” she explained, “Every episode, every state, every city, every pueblo that we went to was a story that blew my mind, blew me away. There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t cried over someone’s story.
Eva recently appeared at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where she discussed her upcoming drama titled Flamin’ Hot, which she directed and follows the true story of Frito Lay’s Richard Montanez, the janitor, who was founded Blazing Hot Cheetos.
Strike a pose: The Desperate Housewives alum at the Vanity Fair Oscar party earlier this month