The show premiered on US TV and became an instant hit. It averages more than 20 million US viewers weekly and is now a global phenomenon seen in 200 countries.

But beyond the Hollywood glitz. Longoria holds a degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University - Kingsville. She is a spokeswoman for Padres Contra el Cancer, which is dedicated to helping Latino kids with the disease, and works with the United Farm Workers labour union.

She said it was "unfortunate" that in the United States -- a nation of immigrants -- some lawmakers want to deport illegal aliens and fence off the Mexico/US border.

"Mexicans contribute an enormous amount to our society, economically and socially," she said. "I don't think this administration can afford to have things end badly."

Longoria has politics on her mind a lot these days, in real life and in the movies.

In The Sentinel, she co-stars with Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland. They play Secret Service agents who clash when the president's life is threatened by assassins. Longoria is a sharp rookie who is teamed with Sutherland in what is her first role in a major Hollywood movie.

She is not the headlining actress; her part supports the male leads. But Longoria said she was not looking to top movie marquees yet, and did not need the added pressure of being the sole star responsible for the film's box office.

"I wanted to be in a good, ensemble cast," she said. "It was an amazing opportunity to work with great actors in a less stressful environment."

Unlike many actors and actresses who proclaim that they do not plan careers and that roles just seem to come along, Longoria says she strategises about her choices.

She graduated from college with plans to work in sports medicine and become a trainer for a professional sports team. Parker is a star player for basketball's San Antonio Spurs.

Longoria never dreamed of movie stardom back on her family's ranch near the south Texas town of Corpus Christi.

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