Image courtesy of the Associated Press

The Hollywood Reporter hosted its annual Women in Entertainment Breakfast on Friday, December 4 at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The breakfast pays respect to the top 100 women in the entertainment industry, recently ranked in a special issue of the magazine. Attendees included Eva Longoria Parker, Hilary Swank and Halle Berry who was presented with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. Other notable guests were AnnaLynne McCord (from the CW’s 90210), Camryn Manheim and Nicole Sullivan. The event’s main sponsors were Audi, Damiani Jewellers and L’Oreal. Those included in the top 100 list spoke with news affiliates on the red carpet about what it means to be a woman in the entertainment industry, whether they are an actress, producer or CEO. Some revealed the industry is still a “boys club,” noting that they had definitely experienced struggles and obstacles in their profession. Some even described it in the sociological term of having to break through the “glass ceiling.”

The day began with a champagne reception before the breakfast commenced in the Crystal Ballroom, where over 500 guests were seated. Eva Longoria Parker took to the stage first to talk about the importance of mentors in her life. She described how she was raised in a very selfless family and feels deeply passionate that it is “my responsibility to give back.” Hilary Swank spoke about how “success means becoming your best successful self” and noted how far she has come in her life from the kid who was raised in a trailer park. There was a very strong sense of unity in the decidedly female audience, especially as Swank concluded that “I hope we continue to support each other.” Finally, Halle Berry was welcomed on stage as she was presented with the much-respected Sherry Lansing award. The actress spoke at length about women who have inspired her over the years, most notably her fifth-grade teacher whom she used to have “cookie talks” with consisting of deep conversations and the baking of cookies together.

The entire ceremony was a success and brought together a hugely talented and inspirational group of women. Support and mentorship were the key components, not only of the breakfast but within the industry.

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“When I was a little girl, my family had a nickname for me,” Eva Longoria-Parker smiles nostalgically and a short Spanish phrase rolls off her tongue. “Loosely translated, it means ‘the small brown one,’” she explains with a nonchalant shrug.

It’s hard to believe the ex-pageant queen, cover girl, spokes model, and most glamorous of the Desperate Housewives ever had to overcome being deemed the “ugly duckling.” As the only one in her family to have dark hair, eyes, and skin, Longoria-Parker was the odd one out. Though she acknowledges that it wasn’t easy as a child to overcome the name-calling, now she admits she much preferred the days when her on-screen alter ego, Gabrielle Solis, wore frumpy sweat suits. “I absolutely hate hair and make-up!” she admits. “I’m still just a [Texas] tomboy at heart.”

At first glance, one may assume Longoria-Parker is just playing modest, but the more she talks, the clearer it is that she really is that humble. “I was a late bloomer,” Longoria-Parker speaks of both her looks but also her success within the industry. “But it’s probably better that things didn’t come to me easily because it made me appreciate every step that got me to where I finally am.”

At the Paley Fest panel back in April, Longoria-Parker showed up in casual jeans and a white-button down shirt. She waved eagerly at fans as she took her seat on stage and even helped co-star Teri Hatcher put on her microphone. Perhaps also a testament to her Southern upbringing, Longoria-Parker is genuinely helpful– and fiercely loyal– to her co-workers and friends.

In fact, Longoria-Parker is quick to credit the series creator, Marc Cherry, in addition to her large ensemble cast mates, for the success and fandom of the show. “No one knows [my character] Gabrielle better than Marc,” she gushes. “I don’t even know Gabrielle better than Marc [does]! I trust him completely; if he said he wanted to see her…run off and join the circus in some trapeze act, I’d say okay.” She is one actor who clearly understands that in this business, it really is all about teamwork—and there is no “I” in “team!”

Longoria-Parker knows what it’s like to come from meager means, and she is adamant about doing what she can to enrich lives now that she has been so blessed. Aside from founding Eva’s Heroes, which helps disabled children, Longoria-Parker also does a lot of work with PADRES Contra El Cancer. She even recently hosted a Rally for Kids With Cancer scavenger hunt in Los Angeles.

A few years ago, the women of Desperate Housewives were featured on the cover of Vanity Fair, and the press headlines were about the “tension” and “demanding behavior” on the set of the photo shoot. But if Longoria-Parker’s down-to-Earth demeanor is any indication of the rest of the women, then it is clear that the term “diva” might just get thrown around a bit too liberally in describing Hollywood actresses nowadays.

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