Eva Longoria’s Sister Could Barely Tie Shoes with ‘4th Grade’ Mind, Yet Actress Deems Her ‘Light of My Life

• Eva Longoria is a well-known actress who was born into a family with a sister with special needs.
• Her older sister, Elizabeth "Liza" Longoria, has taught her many life lessons, including overcoming hurdles despite the expectations placed on her.
• Inspired by her sister, Eva is heavily involved in philanthropy and humanitarian work.

On March 15, 1975, Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born as the youngest of four sisters in Corpus Christi, Texas, to Ella Eva Longoria and Enrique Longoria Jr. The star grew up on a ranch and went on to attend Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

After leaving college and getting a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, Eva tried her luck with a talent contest that required her to go to Los Angeles. While there, she was seen by a theatrical agent and signed.

She later starred in 1963's "General Hospital," 1973's "The Young and the Restless," 1987's "The Bold and the Beautiful," and 1990's "Beverly Hills, 90210." The beautiful actress gained worldwide fame when she appeared as Gabrielle Solis in 2004's "Desperate Housewives."

The successful celebrity also founded an organization that helps Latinas build better futures through education and entrepreneurship called The Eva Longoria Foundation. The star also earned her Master's in Chicano Studies after presenting her thesis on "Success STEMS From Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM Careers."

She's also written for publications on the subject of education. While Eva has a successful career and life, there's one person in her life that she completely dotes on.

Some of the Incredible Life Lessons Eva's Sister Taught Her

During a November 2016 "Loose Women" appearance, Eva pushed for schools to train teachers to deal with children diagnosed with autism, especially since more and more children have the condition. The actress revealed that her sister, Elizabeth "Liza" Longoria has special needs, and her school only ran until the sixth grade, so she was forced to go mainstream.

The star recalled how scared their mother was because she anticipated her child being bullied and that she would be misunderstood. However, Eva praised the school her sibling attended for being supportive and considerate of her sister's condition. For instance, every period, someone would walk Liza to her locker, and she had lots of support.

The celebrity also acknowledged how some special needs schools, though equipped with trained teachers, could be detrimental to students because they treat them like they were in a bubble, which is not reflective of the real world.

Eva's mother Ella became her daughter's most prominent advocate, challenging the system's limitations for children with special needs. Eventually, she became a special needs teacher herself.

Eva proudly described her mother as an "angel" for having raised four girls while working full-time and training as a special needs teacher. On top of everything she did, Ella managed to still have supper ready for her family at 6 p.m. daily.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself as the lastborn child, not getting enough attention in the household partly due to Liza's needs, the actress took it in her stride and kept herself busy. In fact, she became so independent and learned self-love that she hilariously described herself as "amazing!

Despite being born into Liza's world, Eva only has love for her older sister, who has taught her many valuable lessons. In a February 2022 interview, Eva shared two stories about how Liza taught her humility. While attending a regular high school, Liza came home without her jacket, Ella asked her what happened to it, and it was revealed that someone had stolen it off her back.

At ten years old, the actress was so angry and asked her sister who would do something like that and why, but Liza compassionately replied that it must've been someone cold! The celebrity's sister was just happy her jacket was useful to someone else.

Another incident that taught Eva an important lesson was when Liza would have trouble tying her shoes in the morning, causing everyone else to be late for school. Frustrated, Eva would ask their mother why they couldn't just tie her sibling's shoes for her. But Ella insisted on letting Liza tie her own shoes.

One day, Eva was tired of being late, and when their mother wasn't looking, she quickly tied her sister's shoes! When their mother returned, she was upset and slapped her daughter's hand, saying, "Don't ever take that victory away from her. That is her victory."

Liza is one big reason Eva got into charity work and other humanitarian efforts. The actress's older sister managed to do more than what most people expected from her.

Liza: The "Light" of Eva's Life

Back in 2009, Eva admitted growing up with Liza was one of the most rewarding things in her life. She explained:

"She is the light of my life, and has taught me more than I could ever have imagined."

But as much as Liza is a source of inspiration for Eva, the star also once admitted her sister could be hilarious due because she has no filter. Once, she introduced Liza to her then-boyfriend, and Liza hilariously said, "Argh, another one!"

Contrary to what others thought, Eva explained her sister doesn't have Down syndrome but has a mental disability due to being born prematurely. The celebrity noted, though, that Liza's condition is similar to Down syndrome, describing her as "fourth or fifth-grade level."

In 2019, Eva revealed that living with her older sister inspired her to become a humanitarian. Eva is humbled by everything her sibling shows and teaches her, especially since welcoming her own child. The actress revealed how her sister was given "never" lists— things she would never get to do, but Liza proved them wrong as she thrived and even got a job.

In 2007, the "Unplugging" star said her sister was her hero growing up, and it was a blessing to see her overcome obstacles, like putting on a shirt on her own or leaving the house. She even graduated from high school.

Despite everything she faces during the day, Liza is a highly functional woman who beat the odds stacked against her. She goes to work and commutes home by bus on her own and even helps with dinner.

In 2009, Eva noted how her sister had made their family selfless in looking after her and not having time to worry about other things. Liza also encouraged her family to help children like her when they could, prompting Eva to establish Eva's Heroes. The organization assists people between the ages of 14 and 21 who are intellectually challenged.

The star said her family received lots of help for her sister from organizations similar to the one she founded, so she wanted to extend that help to other children nationwide. Liza is excited about the project, and Eva believes she's also proud of her.

The celebrity and her sister, now 56, have an incredible bond. The pair are so close that the actress even brings her to red-carpet events, like in 2018, when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.