Eva Longoria is still getting checks over 10 years later from her $6 million investment in 2014’s “John Wick,” she recently confirmed to Business Insider. It was revealed earlier this month that Longoria quietly stepped in to close the movie’s $6 million financing gap less than 24 hours before production would’ve shut down entirely. Essentially, there’d be no “John Wick” franchise without Longoria’s contribution that saved the original film.
“That is accurate. By the way, I was in my infancy,” Longoria said while talking about her “John Wick” investment for the first time. “My bankroll was very new, and it was a lot of money, and I was like, ‘So how does it work?’ I had no idea. I would love to say I was an investment genius and I just knew and I calculated my risk. No, none of that.
“An agent, and he wasn’t even my agent, he called me and said, ‘You got money, you should put your money here,’” she continued. “And I didn’t even know how a movie was made. I was like, ‘What do you mean gap financing?’ But something that I’ve learned, looking back, I love investing in people. You can tell me you’re opening a chicken farm, but if you’re fucking passionate about it and you’ve done the work and know the market, I mean, [directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch] did their work. They put in their 10,000 hours as stunt guys and second unit directors; they had seen all the bad movies and knew how to make a good one. It was that. They were undeniably passionate and I knew they were going to make an undeniable product.”
When asked if she’s still getting checks from her “John Wick” investment, Longoria answered: “Yes. What I’m pissed off about is I wasn’t connected to the rest of them. This was a one-time thing. That was the gamble. But that was my only mistake, not being attached to all of the films.”
The success of 2014’s “John Wick” spawned a franchise that has since grossed $1 billion across four movies. While Longoria was not involved with any of the sequels, the franchise’s enduring popularity keeps the 2014 original in constant viewing rotation so the checks continue to come in for her. So how much as she made?
“You know, I would have to check. More than double [$6 million], for sure,” Longoria answered.
As the secret hero behind the “John Wick” franchise, Longoria said it’s always fun to run into the film’s directors or star Keanu Reeves around Hollywood.
“[Keanu and I] ran into each other because of his girlfriend, Alexandra. We know her through some friends, and we met her and Keanu at an art event,” Longoria recalled. “Keanu said, ‘I’d love to take you to dinner; we should celebrate 10 years.’ So we toasted to ‘John Wick.’”