Whatever Happened To Marcia Cross?

Bree Van de Kamp was a complex character that perfectly encapsulated the idea of a "desperate housewife," and no one could have played her better than Marcia Cross. The actor had already been on the scene for several decades when "Desperate Housewives" premiered, as she starred on soap opera "The Edge of Night" in 1984 and was one of the actors who got their start on "One Life to Live."

According to Janet Cross, the actor's mother, she seemed destined for stardom from an early age. "We owe it all to her sixth grade teacher Betsy Banks who put her in a play called 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond.' As a child, Marcia was always lively. She took piano lessons and dance lessons from the Ceil Sharon School of Dance, where everyone went in those days," she told Fifty Plus Advocate in January 2021.

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Cross established herself as a redheaded staple on television, with recurring roles on "Knots Landing" and "Melrose Place," as well as a handful of movies before she landed her most renowned role in 2004. However, since "Desperate Housewives" went off the air more than a decade ago, fans have been wondering whatever happened to Marcia Cross. Luckily, the actor hasn't completely disappeared from the spotlight. In fact, she's been keeping pretty busy.

"Desperate Housewives" ran for an impressive eight seasons, from 2004 until 2012, and Marcia Cross' character became something of a fan favorite. From her cookie cutter image and Martha Stewart-esque homemaker skillset to her deep insecurities and unhappiness, Bree Van de Kamp was truly a "desperate housewife." And, with this character being Cross' longest-running role, it's understandable that letting go of Bree when the show ended was difficult.

During an interview with Digital Spy in September 2011, Cross remarked, "I will miss Bree immensely. We've been through so much together. We've tackled marriages, babies, deaths, cancer. ... It's been a long, interesting journey on 'Desperate Housewives,' so it's going to be difficult to say goodbye. She will be like an old friend that I will miss dearly, although as an actor you always look forward to doing new things. I guess it's bittersweet."

Since the end of the show, the cast of "Desperate Housewives" has changed a lot, and many of the actors embarked on new opportunities, becoming recognized for other roles. But despite Cross' subsequent projects following the end of the series, including several more television appearances, none of her other characters could quite compare. There's no denying that Cross will probably always be best known for playing Bree.

Many celebrities have been involved with Plan International over the years, a non-profit humanitarian organization that fights for the rights of children, especially young girls. In 2012, Marcia Cross was one of them, as she was named Global Ambassador following the end of "Desperate Housewives" and used her platform to raise awareness around the issues children face around the world.

The actor spoke with Plan International at the time about why the cause hit close to home for her, saying, "As a mother of two young girls, I strongly believe everyone has the right to a good education — and that means girls too. Empower a girl, keep her safe from harm, and watch her grow. And then watch her help transform her family and her community."

Cross also spoke about the organization during an interview with "Today" in October 2012. She explained that she'd previously sponsored a child with Plan International USA, but couldn't commit to much more until her obligations with "Desperate Housewives" wrapped up. Cross then took a trip with the organization to India, as she explained, "I actually went [feeling] kind of scared that I would see so much poverty and suffering that I'd be overwhelmed. But the truth is, I saw what can happen when you actually care about people and you work with an organization, that lives are changed, that these girls are given opportunities that they never would have if it weren't for Plan."

With "Desperate Housewives" officially in the rearview mirror, it was time for Marcia Cross to find her next project. In speaking with Digital Spy in September 2011, the actor explained that she wasn't in a rush to move on from the show. "I'm not going to think about things like this right now. I'm not really a planner, which is very different to Bree. I'm sure she has everything mapped out for the next five years, but I like to see how things evolve," she said.

Despite finally having her life back after eight years of filming "Desperate Housewives," it was clear that Cross wanted to get back to work. However, her next project was unfortunately a flop. She was cast in 2014 to play Arlene in the Fox sitcom "Fatrick," alongside Zach Cregger of "Wrecked" and "Barbarian."

In May of the same year, Fox axed several comedy shows, including "Dads" and "Surviving Jack." On top of these short-lived series, the network also passed on a handful of potentials, including "Fatrick," which had only survived a short pilot episode. Shortly after the sitcom was scrapped, Cross appeared in a 2015 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" before landing her next recurring role.

Her brief stint on Fox may have been a bust, but Marcia Cross wasn't down for long. The following year, in 2015, the "Desperate Housewives" star returned to ABC when she secured a spot on "Quantico," a thriller series about young FBI recruits. The show also starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Jake McLaughlin, and received moderately positive ratings.

Cross played Claire Haas, a powerful political figure, for just 15 episodes and two out of the three seasons. However, it was no small role as, according to the series' executive producer Joshua Safran, she was a high priority when it came to casting. During an interview with TVLine in November 2015, he said that landing Cross for the show "was like kismet." He added, "The role was written for her. The second we came up with Claire, I was like, 'We have to get Marcia Cross.'"

From there, the actor went on to make appearances in several shows like "Ned and Stacey," "Youth & Consequences," and "The Edge of Sleep." However, Cross' cameos have been limited to just a handful of episodes at a time and, unfortunately, it seems she has still yet to find her next big role in television.

Marcia Cross has been an actor, humanitarian, and in 2019 she put her efforts into reducing the stigma around anal cancer. She was at a routine gynecological appointment in November 2017 when she received the earth-shattering news that something wasn't right. During a November 2020 interview with Coping with Cancer magazine, Cross recounted how the appointment went, saying, "The doctor examined me and said, 'I just want you to know that whatever it is, it's curable.' I went from being in la-la land, literally, to what!? I think I just kind of left my body."

After a couple biopsies and a colonoscopy, Cross was told she had anal cancer. The actor quietly underwent radiation treatment and chemotherapy, keeping her diagnosis a secret from the press, and she experienced many awful side effects. Thankfully, Cross went into remission in 2018, and she's since decided to speak out about her illness.

"I wasn't interested in becoming the anal cancer spokesperson," Cross continued. "I wanted to move on with my career and my life. But, as I was going through it, I read repeatedly about people who were ashamed, who were hiding. [...] For whatever reason, I don't have any shame about that. [...] It's nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of."

While Marcia Cross has been open about her anal cancer diagnosis, she's also worked to reduce the stigma around its cause — which may be linked to her husband's cancer, as well. Way back in 2009, the actor's other half, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed with throat cancer. It was later determined that both of their cancers came from the same strain of HPV (human papillomavirus) which can be contracted through sexual intercourse or skin to skin contact. HPV has been linked to many forms of cancer, but it causes up to 90% of all forms of anal cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thankfully, early immunization can prevent these health complications from occurring. As Cross told "CBS Mornings" in June 2019, "My girls don't know it yet but they're up for their first shot [at] the end of the school year," referring to her two daughters who were then 12 years old.

In October 2020, Cross and fellow HPV-associated cancer survivor Lillian Kreppel started the non-profit organization HPV Alliance. The organization's goals, according to Cross per PR Newswire, is twofold. "First it will work to educate the public about this very misunderstood and ubiquitous virus. Secondly, it will work to facilitate changes in the medical profession to more effectively deal with the detection, prevention and treatment of HPV. We are thrilled to have an incredible board of medical experts who are dedicated to this mission," the actor said.

Unless you were already a fan of Caroline Kepnes' 2014 debut novel "You," you were probably introduced to Joe Goldberg through the Netflix series, like Marcia Cross was. Her husband had been watching the Netflix series and, as the actor told The Daily Beast in October 2021, she initially wasn't very impressed. "I was like, 'Oh, he's just watching some guy prey on beautiful women — I don't know if I'm interested.'" But, like the rest of us, she began watching and became hooked.

When Season 3 of "You" dropped in 2021, "Desperate Housewives" fans were thrilled to see the beloved Bree Van de Kamp actor on their screens. Cross was in two episodes of the show as Jean Peck, a business associate of Matthew Engler who tries to convince Joe and Love's new neighbor that he isn't living next door to murderers. "I actually put myself on tape for it. It wasn't a very big part, but I wanted it," she continued.

Understandably, Cross' guest spot on the show left fans wanting more of her character, and it even made the actor want to get back into similar roles. While it's unlikely she'll be returning to "You" for its final season, the "Desperate Housewives" star added, "Let's just say this: If Penn Badgley's character wants to fall for an older woman, I'm in."

The death of a loved one is often a difficult and tragic ordeal. Sadly, Marcia Cross' dad died in September 2021 after a short illness at the age of 98. He and his famous daughter were very close, and Cross often shared snaps on social media of herself with her dad. One Instagram post of the two of them was shared on Father's Day of 2019, and the actor captioned it: "One of the happiest moments of my life.. dancing with my father, probably the kindest person I will ever know, on my wedding."

Part of Mark Cross' obituary via Slattery Funeral Home read, "Mark will be remembered for his kindness, his peaceful nature, and his graceful dance moves which his wife, Janet said, 'Made me look like I knew what I was doing.'" While Cross hasn't spoken publicly about the toll her father's death had on her, she did share a touching Instagram tribute a few days after he died. Alongside the photo, which was the same snap of the pair at the actor's wedding, she wrote, "Incomparable Human. My Father. And my first and longest love."

As time has gone on, it's become clear that there won't be a "Desperate Housewives" reboot. While many of the show's actors have gone on to work on other projects, Marcia Cross seems to be stuck. She's had a few cameos on television shows over the past decade, but she's still waiting on that next iconic role to pique her interest.

Cross spoke at the Series Mania forum in Lille, France (via Variety) in March 2023 about the shape her career has taken since leaving the ABC series. "I always assumed that after 'Desperate Housewives' there will be a third act. It has not happened yet. That's the double-edged sword of being an 'icon.' Everybody thinks you are that character and by the time they forget about it, you are not on anybody's list anymore," the actor remarked. She went on to explain how being an older woman in Hollywood comes with its challenges.

Cross said, while she had a place on "Desperate Housewives" in her 40s, she's curious as to what roles there could be for an actor in her 60s. Although fans of the show are probably disappointed that a "Desperate Housewives" revival is unlikely to happen, it's perhaps a good thing for Cross to leave that character behind. She has been known as Bree for so many years, and having the opportunity to become recognized for a new character could give the boost her career really needs.

Marcia Cross' love for theater began early in life. As a sixth grader, she was given the lead in a school play, and in high school, she convinced her drama teacher to take her and a few others on a field trip to New York City where they got to see a live show. From there, Cross fell even more in love with theater, becoming president of the drama club and getting to direct her own play. Following high school the "Desperate Housewives" star enrolled at Juilliard to study acting and she went on to perform in several plays, but ultimately, Cross found herself more successful in television roles instead.

She spoke with Forbes in September 2023 about this time in her life, saying, "Theater is what I went to school for and was my original love. I went after it fiercely when I was younger, wound up in television and then got married and had babies."

But, decades after leaving her theater work behind, Cross made her return to the stage with an off-Broadway play called "Pay the Writer" in August 2023. She starred in the seven-week production as Lana Holt, alongside Ron Canada and Bryan Batt. "I love the material and my husband, [Tom Mahoney], said, 'This is what you should be doing," Cross added.

Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted again in Gaza in May 2021, many have taken to the streets and social media in protest. Several of those speaking out in support of a ceasefire have included celebrities, like Natalie Portman, Madonna, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as well as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds who donated $1 million in support of Palestinian children.

Marcia Cross has made her thoughts about the conflict known as well, posting messages in support of a ceasefire to social media several times since October 2023. In February of 2024, the actor shared a touching line from a poem by Tina Al-khersan on her page, which read, "I am struggling to comprehend how to live among people with eyes that don't water, hearts that don't flinch, and voices that remain silent." Cross was thanked repeatedly and received an abundance of praise in the comment section for speaking up in a time where so many have yet to speak on the issue.