Eva Longoria on Casino
Eva Longoria on Casino
A deep dive into Martin Scorsese's Casino, courtesy of the one and only Eva Longoria.
The laugh of Eva Longoria is a beautiful thing to hear, and during our conversation we heard it a lot. As we met to talk about why the 1995 movie Casino was the film that blew her mind, we also met the young scrappy ‘Texican’ who was displaying an artistic and entrepreneurial spirit on the mean streets of Corpus Christi way before she made it big in Hollywood. It was no surprise then that when we asked her which character in the film she related to most it was De Niro’s Sam Rothstein. From discussions of creative autonomy as an actor and director to how her Cheetos film was heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese you will not want to miss this. - T.J.
From her feature film directorial debut Flamin’ Hot, to her career-launching turn as Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria has a thing for characters - and people - who get things done. Case in point, Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro), the central character in Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995) who brings hard-won street smarts and ruthless clarity to his job as casino boss. He is less clear-eyed when it comes to his hustler-addict wife (Sharon Stone) and unhinged mafioso best friend (Joe Pesci), both of whom sow chaos with every move.
Eva takes us inside the film that brings us the violent, lush, stylish, desperate world of 1970’s Vegas. We learn how Scorsese’s filmmaking in Casino inspired many of the techniques she used in Flamin’ Hot, how she cut her directing chops, and the parallels she sees between her own Texican heritage and the Italian American experiences at the center of so many of Scorsese’s films.
About the Film
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite. 1995.
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese (Adapted from the book by Nicholas Pileggi)
Primary Cast:
Robert De Niro (Sam “Ace” Rothstein)
Sharon Stone (Ginger McKenna)
Joe Pesci (Nicky Santoro)
Cinematography by Robert Richardson