Eva Marie: Code Red Diva

Former high school and community college soccer standout. Cover girl of such noted publications as Import Tuner, Glamfit, Ruckus and, of course, IRON MAN’s April ’13 issue, where she appeared with Ben Booker. Model and actress, appearing in “Entourage,” “CSI: NY,” “America’s Got Talent,” “90210” and a national Skechers commercial. Winner of the 2012 Powertec Model & Fitness competition (her first-ever); top pick in the 2013 WWE Diva Search.

Oh, yeah, Eva Marie also stars in the popular E! reality show, “Total Divas,” which is set to roll its third season on September 7. No wonder this rising star, still shy of her 30th birthday, changed her hair color from the black she displayed on the 2013 cover to the fiery red you see here. Talk about bringing the heat!

Don’t let this stunning 5’8”, 125-pound diva fool ya, however. She grew up in Concord, California, a self-described tomboy. (With a father who served in the Marines and three older brothers, did she have any other choice?)

A devout San Francisco Giants fan, she’s on the road more than President Obama. So I was fortunate to track her down on a mid-July day for a 30-minute phone interview to find out where she’s been, where she’s at and where she’s going.

Eva Marie, talk to me.

LT: As the saying goes, you’re much more than just a pretty face.

EM: [Laughs] I was always athletic as a kid. When you are the youngest of four kids, and the other three are brothers, it’s almost automatic that you grow up as a tomboy. When I was little, my mother put me into dance; when I saw the boys playing sports, I just followed in their footsteps.

LT: After finishing your soccer career at Diablo Valley College, you attended California State University, Fullerton, shining in the classroom as you earned a degree in business. How did you make the transition into the world of entertainment?

“When you are the youngest of four kids, and the other three are brothers, it’s almost automatic that you grow up as a tomboy.”

EM: After college I moved to Los Angeles and started modeling and acting. Since my brothers always were watching the WWF, now the WWE, I followed wrestling too. One day I got a call to audition for the Diva Search. I told my brothers about it, and they were like, “Oh, my gosh, this is something you should definitely go for.”

The last callback was actually getting into the ring to see if you could handle the physicality that the job demands. The first day I went for the tryout, I fell in love with it. I knew this was my dream job.