Eva Longoria ‘Faked’ Paperwork And ‘Snuck Out’ To Pay For Her Quinceañera
Actress, producer, and director Eva Longoria, 48, could already be considered a jack of all trades in Hollywood. However, she had a very different job before fame. The “Desperate Housewives” star once worked at her local Wendy’s while growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas — all to pay for her own quinceañera.
Longoria once explained on CONAN she worked at Wendy’s as a young teen to save up for her quinceañera. “My parents didn’t want to throw me one because they’re very expensive,” she recalled, alluding to the high prices for quince gowns, big cakes, decor, and renting an event space.
“It’s very expensive and I have three older sisters, so it’s four girls,” the “Flamin’ Hot” director explained. “My mom was like, ‘Your sisters didn’t get a quinceañera, you’re not getting a quinceañera.”
So Longoria gave up, right? Very wrong. As she described on the show she “snuck out” to work and save up the money herself. “Most kids are maybe doing drugs,” the star joked. “And I’m like, working.”
Longoria recalled working at Wendy’s to pay for her dream quinceañera — and faking some paperwork
As Longoria once explained to Redbook, “I wanted to have a quinceañera when I was 15 and my family didn’t have the money.” As she put it, “I got a job at Wendy’s and paid for it myself.”
“I couldn’t wait to get to work and make my own money,” she recalled feeling as a teen. She also explained that her older sister Liza, who has an intellectual disability, gave her extra perspective. “There was never any resentment, because I saw how hard my mother worked and all she did for my sister.”
“I wanted to do whatever I could to help,” the actress remembered.
So she got to work at her local Wendy’s — but had to fake some paperwork to actually get the job. Why? Well, she was under the legal age of 16 years old to work independently. As Longoria described on CONAN, she could legally work at 15, but needed a parent’s permit to get one.
“You [could] work if you had a parent’s permit,” she explained. “And I [didn’t]. Well, I faked it.” A hustler since day one!
Longoria remembered, “I snuck out and got a job at Wendy’s and never told [my parents].” It didn’t totally work, though. While she kept her job a secret from her parents, her teacher saw her working there. “My teacher busted me,” she explained.
“[The teacher] was like, ‘Eva?’ and I was like, ‘No,'” she laughed. “And then my mom found out I was working.”
Host Conan O’Brien later showed a photo of Longoria at her quinceañera, and well, it’s epic.
Many years after her stint working at Wendy’s, Longoria still often reflects on her time there. In fact, she once explained on the Rachel Ray Show that she is proud to have been a “burger flipper.” She explained, “I loved working there.”
Even more, she said that Wendy’s taught her how to make the most delicious burger. “What we learned at Wendy’s is that mayonnaise goes on the [top] bun first, to seal the bun,” Longoria said. “Then you put ketchup on top of that, and mustard goes on the meat because it brings out the flavor of the meat.” As they say, you learn something new everyday.
So what does Longoria like on her burger today? Definitely “yellow cheese”… and a few jalapeños.