Eva Longoria reveals how Meryl Streep reacted to finding out they are relatives

Eva Longoria has revealed how Meryl Streep responded to the revelation that they're related.

While appearing on an episode of Dr Henry Louis Gates' genealogy series Faces of America in 2010, the actress discovered she was related to The Devil Wears Prada star.

"He cross-references everybody's DNA to see if we share a relative in the last 100 years," Eva explained on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week.

"And he's like, 'Do you want to know who you're related to?' And I was like, 'Yeah.' And he's like, 'Meryl Streep.'"

The Desperate Housewives star then told host Jimmy that while she was "excited" about the news, she didn't know how to relay it to the three-time Oscar-winning actress.

"I was, like, at the Golden Globes or I don't know - something backstage in the green room - and my friend was like, 'There's Meryl, go say you're her cousin,'" the 50-year-old remembered.

She added that she didn't want to startle the Mamma Mia! star with the news, adding, "I don't know if she saw that part of the show."

In the end, however, Eva didn't have to deliver the news to Meryl because she had already seen the episode.

"I hear, 'Cousin! Cousin!' That's how cool Meryl Streep is. She's like, 'Cousin!'" Eva recalled of their conversation.

"I was like, 'Clearly you got the talent in the family,'" the star continued. "And she's like, 'Clearly you got the beauty.'"

The pair have since gone on to work together on the hit comedy-drama series Only Murders in the Building.