Marcia Cross

Marcia Cross portrays the role of Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives.

Biography
Marcia Cross was born on March 25, 1962, in Marlborough, Massachusetts. As a child, Marcia always wanted to be an actress, so she set out to have a career in acting. Cross graduated from the Julliard School in New York, a naturally gifted girl. Her career began in 1984, when she joined the cast of the daytime soap opera "The Edge of Night" (1956). After six months, the show ended its 28-year run. The following year, in 1985, she starred opposite 'Carroll O'Connor (I)' in the television film Brass (1985) (TV). Then, in 1986, she landed the lead role in Pros &amp; Cons (1986) (TV) with comedienne Sheryl Lee Ralph. She kept busy by starring in The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986) (TV) with many famous figures in Hollywood - including June Carter Cash, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Marcia's career was looking up when she was cast as "Kate Roberts" in another daytime soap opera, "One Life to Live" (1968), and as "Tanya" in "Another World" (1984). Marcia was then seen opposite Tim Daly in the 1988 tear-jerker romance "Almost Grown" (1988). "Almost Grown" (1988) was a television pilot that never got picked up, but is still very acclaimed to this day. Marcia was then cast as "Ruth Fielding" in Bad Influence (1990), a 1990 thriller that starred Cross, Rob Lowe, and James Spader. She joined the cast of "Knots Landing" (1979) - an incredibly famous nighttime soap opera in 1991. After a year, she left to do work on a new television series called "Melrose Place" (1992).

She was cast as the psychotic "Dr. Kimberly Shaw" on the hit prime-time drama series. The show was a pop-culture phenomenon, going down in history as one of the most entertaining and memorable shows of the 1990s. Marcia, who was starring opposite Heather Locklear, Courtney Thorne-Smith and others, emerged as the fan favorite of the show. Then, in 1993, her longtime companion and fiancé, Richard Jordan, died. Marcia reigned on, starring in films like Female Perversions (1996) opposite Tilda Swinton and Always Say Goodbye (1996) opposite Emmy-nominee Polly Draper, throughout her long run on "Melrose". In 1997, she left the show in order to get her Master's Degree in Psychology.

Well, Marcia succeeded and got her Master's in Psychology. From 1997 to 2003, she continued to act regularly. She starred in Dancing in September (2000) - a critically acclaimed film, got herself the lead role in Living in Fear (2001), starred in The Wind Effect (2003) - a disturbing film about family, and even filmed Eastwick (2002) (TV), a TV pilot that never was picked up. Eastwick (2002) (TV) was based on The Witches of Eastwick (1987), a film made in 1987, and Marcia was cast in the Susan Sarandon role.

She got back into the public eye by joining the cast of the critically-acclaimed television series "Everwood" (2002) with Treat Williams. After a year on the show, she left it when she was auditioned for "Desperate Housewives" (2004), a new TV series. In 2004, Marcia was cast as "Bree Van De Kamp" in "Desperate Housewives" (2004), which went on to be a monster-hit with the critics and audiences. "Housewives" immediately became the number one show in America, earning Cross well-deserved critical kudos for her brilliantly convincing performance on the show. Her career was completely re-launched - she was appearing in the media, on the biggest show in America, and once again emerging as the fan and critics' favorite on the show. Marcia began to be nominated for very prestigious awards - including the Emmy award, Golden Globe, Golden Satellite award, and a Television Critics' Association Award. Marcia even won a Screen Actors Guild award in 2005. She continues to act on the hit show, and has become an A-lister and well appreciated actress.

Trivia

 * Gave birth to twin daughters (her first and second child) at age 44, Savannah Rose Mahoney and Eden Geneva Mahoney on February 20, 2007 about two months prematurely after she was on a rest bed since January. They were conceived via IVF. Children's father is her husband, Tom Mahoney.

Career
Cross has appeared or starred in the following:
 * Brass
 * Cheers
 * Booker
 * Murder, She Wrote
 * Knots Landing
 * Ned and Stacey
 * Melrose Place
 * Seinfield
 * Boy Meets World
 * Dancing in September
 * Spin City
 * Everwood
 * Just Peck
 * Desperate Housewives