The ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives and its amazingly gifted cast helped redefine the genre in the 21st century. Premiering on October 3, 2004, Desperate Housewives entertained television audiences for 8 seasons until its finale episode (“Finishing the Hat”) on May 13, 2012. Desperate Housewives joins the exclusive list of successful all-female lead cast-led TV shows, such as The Facts of Life (1979-1988), The Golden Girls (1985-1992), Designing Women (1986-1993), Sisters (1991-1996), and Sex and the City (1998-2004).
However, something intriguing about the women on Wisteria Lane attracted millions of viewers to each episode of Desperate Housewives. In retrospect, Desperate Housewives’ success also lay in the performance of its remarkable cast. 2024 marks two decades since Desperate Housewives premiered on ABC. Here are the top Desperate Housewives cast and characters and where they are now in their careers.
Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer
Actress Teri Hatcher wasn’t a new face to film and television audiences when she was cast as one of the female leads in Desperate Housewives. Hatcher has portrayed Superman’s love interest Lois Lane on ABC’s superhero drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997). She also played Paris Carver in the 1997 James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. In Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher played the clumsy but romantically charming Susan Mayer. Her character focused mostly on her relationship and marriage to Mike Delfino (James Denton).
As one of the lead characters, Teri Hatcher appeared in all 180 Desperate Housewives episodes. Although Hatcher continued her acting career, she has appeared in fewer film and television projects in recent times. Teri Hatcher last appeared in a feature film in 2019, where she played Geena in Madness in the Method. Teri Hatcher played Rhea, Queen of Daxam, in a recurring role in Supergirl in 2017. Since then, she has starred in TV movies, with her last appearance being in Christmas at the Chalet, where she played Lex Riley.
Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo
Besides being a series regular in Sports Night (1998-2000) and a recurring character in Frasier (2003), Desperate Housewives was (and still is) actress Felicity Huffman’s biggest television role. Huffman joined the Desperate Housewives cast, playing Lynette Scavo. Her character was a former business-driven woman turned frustrated stay-at-home mother of four. Lynette Scavo was married to Tom Scavo (Doug Savant). Since Desperate Housewives ended in 2012, Felicity Huffman hasn’t starred in any big-budget production, whether in film or television.
Felicity Huffman’s last movie appearance was in Tammy’s Always Dying (2019), but she appeared in an episode of The Good Doctor in 2023. She also played Susan Savage in the TV movie Sacramento River Cats Project (2013). On March 12, 2019, Felicity Huffman was charged in a nationwide college entrance exam cheating scandal. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 14 days in jail on September 13, 2019.
Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp
Bree Van de Kamp was a favorite among millions of Desperate Housewives viewers. Bree Van de Kamp struggled to maintain a perfect life throughout the series. Not counting her several other romantic relationships, Bree Van de Kamp was married three times. She married Rex Van de Kamp (Steven Culp), Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan), and Trip Weston (Scott Bakula). Actress Marcia Cross portrayed Bree Van de Kamp in all 8 seasons of Desperate Housewives, appearing in all 180 episodes. As a television actress, Marcia Cross has starred in more television projects than in film. Her last feature film was in the 2020 The Secret of Karma. In television, Marcia Cross appeared in three episodes of Monarch in 2022, playing Skyler Samms.
Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis
Eva Longoria joined the Desperate Housewives cast as Gabrielle Solis. Although the show has been her longest, most successful work on television, Longoria was first known for playing Isabella Braña in The Young and the Restless (2001-2003). Longoria’s Gabrielle Solis is the youngest of the four women and also one of two of them to cheat on their husbands. The character is introduced as a lonely housewife at the beginning of season 1. Gabrielle Solis’ story arc was one of the most entertaining in Desperate Housewives. Since leaving Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria has been busy as an actor, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Eva Longoria’s most recent appearances include Only Murders in the Building, Land of Women (which she executive produced), and Tell It Like a Woman. Post-Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria has had the most success in her acting career.
James Denton as Mike Delfino
James Denton did a fantastic job playing Mike Delfino from season 1 until his death in season 8. Besides the four main female characters, James Denton was one of Desperate Housewives‘ most beloved cast members. He was a plumber who later married Susan Mayer. Mike Delfino was killed off after Donny killed him in a drive-by shooting. Mike Delfino’s reappearance as a ghost in the show’s finale was one of Desperate Housewives‘ top highlights. After Desperate Housewives, James Denton landed another iconic role as Dr. Sam Radford in Good Witch (2015-2021). In 2023, James Denton appeared in an episode of Fantasy Island.
Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis
At the point of his Desperate Housewives casting, Ricardo Antonio Chavira’s role as Carlos Solis was the biggest of his career. Carlos Solis was Gabrielle Solis’ workaholic husband. Carlos badly wanted to start a family with his wife, but Gabrielle was on birth control pills. He replaced her birth pills with sugar pills, causing Gabrielle to get pregnant. Carlos Solis and his wife stayed together till the end of Desperate Housewives, leaving Wisteria Lane to a mansion in Los Angeles. Although he has starred in several movies, Ricardo Antonio Chavira has continued to appear in several television roles. In 2023, he guest-starred in Blindspotting and had a recurring role in Glamorous.
Doug Savant as Tom Scavo
Doug Savant joined Desperate Housewives’ cast in a recurring role as Tom Scavo in season 1. Tom Scavo was Lynette Scavo’s husband, who was almost always away in season 1. However, Tom Scavo’s character was promoted to a series regular in season 2 and remained part of the main cast till the end. Since Desperate Housewives, Doug Savant has mostly only appeared in guest roles in television. In the “True Crime” episode of The Rookie in 2021, Doug Savant played Benjamin, which was his last acting role.
Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt
For much of Desperate Housewives, Edie Britt was the woman, the women of Wisteria Lane and audiences, loved to hate. Edie Britt married three times, with her first two marriages ending in divorce and her last marriage to Dave Williams ending in his death. However, much of her relationships in Desperate Housewives was dating the ex-husbands or former lovers of the women in Wisteria Lane. Edie Britt remained part of the main cast until her death, caused by electrocution, in season 5.
British-born American actress Nicollette Sheridan played Edie Britt. Following her exit from the show in 2009, Nicollette Sheridan had several minor and guest-starring roles in film and television. However, in 2018, she joined the cast of Dynasty in a recurring role as Alexis Morell Carrington. Her character was promoted to a main role in season 2. Nicollette Sheridan last appeared in the 2023 TV movie Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas. If Desperate Housewives and its cast felt nostalgic, read up about what the Sex and the City cast have been up to.
Follow Us
