THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Desperate Housewives' 15 years later

July 2024 · 8 minute read
2019-09-05T14:07:00Z

Nearly 15 years ago, in 2004, "Desperate Housewives" first premiered and it quickly became a popular primetime drama that millions tuned into for the next eight years. The series ended in May 2012 but the cast has stayed busy since the show wrapped up.

Here's what the cast has been up to since the final episode of "Desperate Housewives" aired.

Felicity Huffman starred as Lynette Scavo, frazzled mom of four kids and wife to Tom Scavo.

Her character was known for not putting up with anyone's nonsense. ABC

Lynette was a mom willing to go the extra mile for her family no matter what. And whether she was working a high-profile job or helping her husband run a pizzeria, she was determined and always willing to fight for what she believed in.

Huffman has recently been dealing with legal issues.

Felicity Huffman has had a few acting roles since. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Over the past few months, Huffman has been making headlines for her part in the highly publicized college-admissions scandal.

Per Associated Press, in May, "Huffman pleaded guilty in federal court to paying an admissions consultant $15,000 to have a proctor correct her older daughter's answers on the SAT."

The actress could potentially face up to four months in prison and her sentencing is set for September 13. 

Prior to her legal woes, Huffman starred on the show "American Crime." Most recently, she appeared on the Netflix mini-series "When They See Us."

She is also set to appear in the Netflix film "Otherhood" but its release has been delayed following the admissions scandal.

Eva Longoria played model-turned-housewife Gabrielle Solis.

Gabrielle Solis was known for loving to shop. ABC

From having an affair with her teenage gardener John to trying to raise two daughters who never listen to her, Gabrielle always had a lot on her plate.

She was typically at odds with her husband Carlos, who was oftentimes too busy with work to spend time with her. But after a divorce, remarriage, Carlos' temporary blindness, and financial struggles, the couple eventually realized that they can both be pretty happy together.

Longoria has been very busy since.

Eva Longoria is starring in a few upcoming projects. Jason Koerner/Stringer/Getty Images

After the show ended, Longoria appeared on shows like "Mother Up!" "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "Telenovela." She served as a producer on "Devious Maids" and has directed several episodes of shows like "Black-ish," "Jane the Virgin," and "The Mick."

Over the past few years, Longoria has been named the face of L'Oréal Paris, a spokesperson for Pepsi NEXT, and the face of Bebe Sport

These days, she can be found on the ABC summer series, "Grand Hotel," both on screen as an actress and behind the camera as a producer. Longoria also recently appeared in the big-screen picture "Dora and the Lost City of Gold."

Teri Hatcher starred as clumsy romantic Susan Mayer, a single mom to Julie and eventually MJ.

Susan Mayer was pretty clumsy. ABC

Susan was the girl-next-door who expressed her feelings openly and often. Her clumsiness provided comic relief, from the time she accidentally burnt down Edie's house to the time she got locked out of her home when she was naked.

She married Mike Delfino twice and had a son, MJ, with him. During the final two episodes of the series, Susan grieved the death of her husband and focused on her pregnant daughter Julie. 

Hatcher has had a few roles since.

Hatcher has been on TV shows. Getty

Hatcher has since appeared on a few series since including "Jane by Design," a reboot of "The Odd Couple," and "Supergirl." She also voiced a character on the animated series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates." 

Marcia Cross played Bree Van De Kamp, the neighborhood perfectionist and homemaker.

Bree Van De Kamp wanted nothing less than perfection. ABC

Bree's biggest struggle was trying to maintain a perfect life despite dealing with quite a bit, including infidelity, death, divorce, crime, and alcoholism.

In Bree's attempts at keeping a perfect home façade up, she helped her son Andrew cover up a deadly hit-and-run, and when her daughter Danielle got pregnant, she sent her away and faked her own pregnancy hoax to raise the child as her own.

Eventually, Bree was even charged with murdering Gabrielle's abusive stepfather, Alejandro, but she was acquitted and she ended up marrying her lawyer and pursuing a career in politics. 

Recently, Cross has spoken about her previous anal-cancer diagnosis. She is currently in remission.

Marcia Cross has been in a few shows since. Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

After "Desperate Housewives," Cross appeared on TV shows like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Quantico."

Recently, she shared that she had anal cancer but after treatment, she is in remission. Since her diagnosis, she has been speaking out about her experience to raise awareness about the disease.

In an interview with CBS This Morning she spoke about how an annual rectal exam saved her life and how she hopes to break the stigma about anal cancer.

"I know there are people who are ashamed. You have cancer! You have to then also feel ashamed? Like you did something bad, you know because it took residence in your anus? I mean, come on, really," Cross said on the show. 

Cross said she is feeling much better these days, "I'm back to normal, though it's a new normal."

Nicollette Sheridan played real-estate agent Edie Britt, every housewife's nightmare.

Edie Britt was a lot to handle. ABC

Edie complicated the other ladies' lives by dating Susan's ex-husband Karl, tricking Mike Delfino into dating her when he had amnesia, dating Gabrielle's then-ex-husband Carlos, and kissing Bree's husband Orson. Edie was later killed in a tragic accident. 

Sheridan's had a few acting roles since.

Nicolette Sheridan stars on The CW's "Dynasty" reboot. Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

Sheridan went on to appear in a few TV movies as well as "Jewtopia" and "Let's Kill Ward's Wife." Recently, she appeared on the CW's "Dynasty" reboot.

Dana Delany played mysterious Katherine Mayfair, known for her cold demeanor and impressive cooking skills.

Katherine Mayfair was really mysterious. ABC

Soon after suddenly arriving on Wysteria Lane, Katherine started a catering business with Bree. She had a relationship with Mike Delfino which later ended when he remarried Susan. She was also Delfino's stalker for a few episodes.

By the end of the series, Katherine had entered a serious relationship with a younger woman and moved to Paris.

Delany has had a few roles over the past few years.

Dana Delany has mostly stuck with TV shows. Emma McIntyre/Getty

The actress has since appeared on shows like "Body of Proof," "The Comedians," and"Hand of God." Her latest role is on the show "The Code."

Brenda Strong was the voice of Mary Alice Young, who was narrating the series from beyond the grave.

Mary Alice Young narrated the series. ABC

Mary Alice's death on the first episode was the catalyst to the revelation of her family's dark past and Wisteria Lane's secrets. 

Strong has kept herself busy with acting roles.

Brenda Strong has been on some major shows. Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Strong has since landed roles on hit series like "Dallas," "Blood Relatives," "Fear the Walking Dead," "13 Reasons Why," and "Supergirl." 

Kathryn Joosten played the cranky-yet-warm Karen McCluskey.

You just had to love Karen McCluskey. ABC

Every neighborhood has a busybody and Wisteria Lane's was Karen McCluskey. Although McCluskey butted heads with a lot of her neighbors, she was actually fairly thoughtful and was willing to help a few of them get out of some sticky situations. 

During one of the most heart-wrenching moments of the show, McCluskey died during the series finale.

Sadly, Joosten died shortly after the finale aired.

Kathryn Joosten had been an actress for decades. Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/AP Images

Joosten died of lung cancer just days after the "Desperate Housewives" series finale aired.

Prior to "Desperate Housewives," the Emmy-winning actress had racked up over 100 acting credits and she was well-known for her role on "The West Wing" 

Vanessa Williams starred as the vain and insensitive Renee Perry that ruffled the ladies' feathers every now and then.

Renee Perry was something else. ABC

Introduced as Lynette Scavo's best friend from college, Renee Perry bumped heads with several of her neighbors. Eventually, she created a strong friendship with the women, especially Bree and Gabrielle. 

Williams has had many roles since.

Vanessa Williams has some serious star power. Greg Allen/Invision/AP

After "Desperate Housewives," Williams added shows like "666 Park Avenue," "The Good Wife," "Milo Murphy's Law," "The Librarians," and "Daytime Divas" to her resume. 

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