Eva Longoria Says She “Berated” the Studio Into Letting Her Direct ‘Flamin’ Hot’: “And I Got It!”

Eva Longoria is making her feature film directorial debut with Flamin’ Hot, based on the life of Richard Montañez, the man who claims he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Though she says she “became obsessed” with telling his story, there was no guarantee she would be able to get the highly coveted opportunity since she hadn’t ever directed a film before.

Speaking to Sherri Shepherd during her Tuesday appearance on Sherri, the Desperate Housewives actress said her agent warned her she may not land the job because many other directors were also vying for the opportunity.

“I went in and I berated them into giving me the job,” Longoria said. “I did act like I already had the job, because I really thought I had the job.”

Looking back on her meeting with the studio, Longoria said, “I was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do, this is what the movie is, this is what I’m going to say, this is how we’re gonna represent the Mexican-American community because we’ve never seen ourselves like this on TV, on film, on any screen. We don’t really get to see ourselves in a positive portrayal.’ And I got it!”

The actress and director said she really connected with Montañez’s story after she read the script, which was written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez.

“I became obsessed with telling his story because I am Richard Montañez,” she said. “I’ve been told no, I’ve been told opportunities aren’t for people like you. Ideas don’t come from people like you.”

Seeing as this was her first time directing a feature film, Longoria said the pressure was on: “We all felt the pressure to get it right and we had zero room for error But I used that as strength and motivation. I carry my community in my heart,” she said.

Flamin’ Hot is based off of Montañez’s memoir A Boy, A Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive, in which the former Frito-Lay janitor recounts how he pitched his idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to the company’s CEO.

Though his claims have been disputed, Longoria and the film’s screenwriters have stood by the story they aimed to tell. “We’ve always been telling Richard Montañez’s story, and we’re telling his truth,” she recently said. “We weren’t making a movie about the history of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto. We’re telling the story of Richard Montañez.”

Flamin’ Hot is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

Sherri airs on weekdays at 10 a.m. ET. Check the Sherri website for local listings.