Is Telenovela Based on Eva Longoria’s Soap Opera Experience?

I know Eva Longoria used to be on a soap opera. Is her new comedy, Telenovela, based on any of those experiences?

—Cecelia F., Springfield, Mo.

A: Longoria says that Telenovela, airing Monday nights on NBC, draws from her time on The Young and the Restless. But she connects with her character, Ana Sofia, in other ways too. “As a Mexican-American, I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish, so I was kind of shunned by my community,” says the Desperate Housewives alum, 40. “Then in the American community, they were like, ‘Oh, you’re the Mexican,’ so I really never fit anywhere. And that’s exactly how Ana Sofia feels.”

Eva Longoria Talks About Her Return to TV in NBC’s Flashy Comedy Telenovela