The Untold Truth Of Felicity Huffman

You've undoubtedly heard of Felicity Huffman, whether or not you're a fan of her work. The actress might have a stellar resume, but her life was completely changed when she was found to be involved in the college admissions scandal that rocked a lot of Hollywood and other rich and powerful people. But nevertheless, scandal aside, Huffman was a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.

And really, her life has been pretty interesting, even before all the drama took place. Huffman is well-known for her many acting roles, but she's also so much more than that. She is a wife, a mother, and someone whose world was completely shaken after a huge, life-changing event. Say what you like about Huffman and what she's done, but there's no way anyone can ignore the fact that she is talented, is well-spoken, and has come such a long way since she first launched into the spotlight. The untold truth about Felicity Huffman is that her life before and after the college admissions scandal is worth looking into because she's been through some tough times.

Though Felicity Huffman has grown and changed a lot since her childhood, it seems as though she has very fond memories of growing up. Huffman was born on Dec. 9, 1962, in Bedford, N.Y., according to Biography, and soon moved to Little Woody Creek, Colo. with her mother. And Huffman was so fond of her Colorado childhood home that not only did she marry her husband there, but the two later purchased the property after her parents' deaths.

In an interview with Architectural Digest, Huffman explained that it was a true fairytale to be able to purchase the actual land and home in which she spent so much of her youth. "My wonderful husband, Bill Macy, said, 'Hey, why don't we try and buy it?' And then my wonderful family said, 'We'll help you,'" Huffman told Architectural Digest of their decision to purchase the property. "I went, Oh my gosh, I'm going to get my childhood home. I'm so happy! I'm so happy!" Huffman clearly has fond memories of her childhood so much so that she wanted to relive it in a sense.

If there was one show that practically defined Felicity Huffman in the public eye, it's Desperate Housewives. The ABC drama followed the lives of four women living in a cul-de-sac, and the intense turmoil that followed them. Huffman played Lynette Scavo, a frantic mother of five, until the show came to an end after eight seasons in 2012. (Here's the real reason Desperate Housewives ended after Season 8.)

Huffman wrote for her now-defunct blog, WhatTheFlicka.com, that she "cried all over" the script when she had her final table read for Desperate Housewives, according to Us Weekly. Huffman also told Us Weekly that ending the series was "like leaving your hometown for college." She shared, "It's been eight years, but it's been a really dense eight years, and I think series and actors live in dog years, so every one year is actually seven! We've actually been doing this series for 56 years," she joked. "Which also makes it a little easier to swallow because it's like, 'Oh, 56 years?! It's time to go!'" 

Dog years or not, Desperate Housewives was a long chapter in Huffman's life, and a hugely significant one as well. Too bad a Desperate Housewives revival will never happen.

Though Felicity Huffman is perhaps best known for her role in Desperate Housewives, the gig that thrust her into the spotlight probably isn't what you'd expect. In 1998, Huffman landed a role in Sports Night, a series that only ran for two seasons, but was seriously popular and received a ton of awards and nominations. The show followed a group of sports anchors on their cable sports program, with Huffman playing the role of Dana Whitaker.

The series, created by Aaron Sorkin, received numerous Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, with Huffman herself getting nominated for a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2000 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Comedy or Musical category. Huffman might not have won the award, but it was clear that her work on the series garnered serious attention and basically took her acting career to a whole new level. Huffman had plenty of talent all along, but her work on Sports Night stood out — and that's putting it lightly.

Felicity Huffman may be a rich and successful actor, but that doesn't mean she always had it easy or didn't struggle throughout life. In fact, in a 2015 interview with Tribune News Service, Huffman went into detail about her battle with depression. And as tragic as that was for her, she got through it.

"I went through a very, very dark three years, and that deep despair and depression changed me," Huffman explained in the interview. She also hinted at having suicidal thoughts and struggles. "It was that kind of depression where I just wished I was dead, that kind of relentless — I just wished I was dead," she continued. Fortunately, Huffman's circle of family and friends were able to help her through it. 

"It was kind of the crucible, from 28 to 31," she said of when her depression took hold. "That dark time changed me, I think, for the better." Huffman clearly had to come to terms with her mental health, and ,as she said, therapy truly helped her. No one is immune to depression, including celebs like Huffman.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Though Felicity Huffman is a celebrity in her own right, she actually married a fellow actor, whom you probably recognize. Huffman and William H. Macy, known for his work in Fargo and Shameless, tied the knot in 1997, according to Us Weekly, and even over 20 years later, they are still crazy in love.

Speaking to the publication at the premiere of their film Krystal in 2018, Macy explained that he didn't know how they lasted so long, other than pure chance. "I'm the luckiest guy, I won the lottery," he said. "I love being married to Felicity. I love being married, I really like it. Although I have screwed it up before. I just got lucky. There's no secret, I got lucky." Huffman felt the same, adding, "I lucked out, I married Bill Macy. But that's as far as I can go. I don't know how you make marriage work, I just got lucky." As the couple had no advice for marriage, it's clear that the two have never really struggled in their relationship, as they said they both feel fortunate to be together.

No matter how happy Felicity Huffman was to marry William H. Macy, she still struggled a bit with marriage as a concept. Of course, she loved Macy, but did she really want to marry him? As it turns out, it took more than one proposal and a whole lot of self-reflection for Huffman to decide to marry Macy.

In an interview with Tribune News Service, Huffman explained exactly how she felt. "I was so scared of marriage that I thought I would've preferred to step in front of a bus," she said. When she explained further, Huffman added, "I thought I'd disappear. Men's stock when they get married goes up. Women's stock goes down." Still, she eventually married Macy and was truly happy to do so. Huffman's reluctance to tie the knot is understandable, as she added that she was afraid she would lose herself in her marriage. Obviously, that didn't happen, but Huffman's concerns were still totally valid.

Becoming a parent is obviously a hugely monumental moment in anyone's life, but for Felicity Huffman, there were a lot of complex emotions involved when she became a mother. And as she has made clear, motherhood wasn't easy for Huffman, and there were times when she really struggled.

In her former blog for iVillage, Huffman explained that she often felt like she was "drowning in motherhood," according to Us Weekly. "When I am home I want to be away," she continued. "When I am away I want to be home. I am no longer the person I was before having children, but not quite comfortable with whom I have become." Motherhood obviously has the ability to completely change a person, and for Huffman, that meant understanding her strengths and weaknesses as a parent. "I can read out loud for hours, I can build forts all afternoon, I can really listen when things go wrong and I am great when the flu hits," she wrote. "I now try and accept my limits." It might have taken her some time, but Huffman adjusted to parenting and did her absolute best to raise her daughters.

As Felicity Huffman has discussed, motherhood didn't come easily to her. That isn't to say that she doesn't enjoy it or absolutely love her children, but that there were hard times for her. However, when her daughters started growing up, and then especially when they became teenagers, Huffman found herself totally thrilled to be a mom of teenage girls. Yes, seriously.

In an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Huffman was asked about her children, and she gave the most honest answer ever. "They are 13 and 15 now, and I am still enjoying them. Can you believe it?" Huffman said, laughing. "You know, in all honestly, I did not really enjoy them until they hit about 7 or 9." Huffman also explained that since she "grew up in a huge house full of women," she was prepared to deal with the emotional rollercoaster that is being a teenage girl. "So I'm like, 'Oh yeah, you're hysterical now, I get it. Oh, now you're really sad. Oh, now you're really happy.' I'm like, 'Cool, bring it.'" Huffman was uniquely prepared to parent teens, and that's something not everyone can say.

More than likely, you know at least a little bit about the college admissions scandal that rocked the world of elite universities and the rich and famous in 2019. As NPR reported, a March 2019 FBI investigation known as "Operation Varsity Blues" was revealed. The investigation found there to be an admissions scheme in the multimillion-dollar range involving wealthy and well-known parents cheating the system to get their children into prestigious universities. One such parent was Felicity Huffman, who reportedly paid $15,000 to get her daughter's SAT scores raised.

Huffman expressed plenty of guilt and remorse for her actions. According to NPR, she stated as much to the court before her sentence was announced. "I have done more damage than I could have ever imagined," she said. "I take full responsibility of my actions and making amends with my crime. ... I will deserve whatever punishment you give me." Obviously, Huffman's involvement in the scandal was a big deal.

Because Felicity Huffman was guilty of paying someone to cheat her daughter into college, the public's view of her kind of waned afterward. And honestly, that's understandable. Huffman might have wanted the best for her daughter, but her actions were immoral and totally privileged. However, there were certain friends and former co-workers who stood by her side, including her former co-star Eva Longoria.

According to Deadline, 27 people wrote letters of support for Huffman before her sentencing for her part in the college admissions scandal. The letters were meant to vouch for Huffman's character, and Longoria's letter did just that. In the letter, obtained by NBC News, Longoria recalled a time on the set of Desperate Housewives in which Huffman stood up for her and made her work environment less toxic. "I dreaded the days I had to work with that person because it was pure torture," Longoria wrote. "Until one day, Felicity told the bully 'enough' and it all stopped. Felicity could feel that I was riddled with anxiety even though I never complained or mentioned the abuse to anyone." As Longoria explained, Huffman was a true friend to her and has great character, despite her part in the scandal.

Because Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to her role in the college admissions scandal (via CNN), she would have to face judgment and a punishment fit for her actions. You know the saying, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Well, Huffman had to do the time. Specifically, Huffman was charged with the crime of "conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud" and sentenced to 14 days served at Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., where she lived along with 1,200 other inmates (via NBC News).

The prison stay couldn't have been easy for Huffman, as it lacked all the finer things she was accustomed to in life. Photos of Huffman in prison quickly circulated, and she looked pretty down in them, as to be expected. Huffman's time in prison wasn't that long, but it did put her on the list of celebs who have done hard time, which includes Martha Stewart. Hey, at least she's in good company.

As rough as life has been for Felicity Huffman since pleading guilty to the charges involving the college admissions scandal, there's no denying that she's paid her dues. Huffman served her prison sentence and fulfilled just about all of her other orders by late October 2020, according to Page Six.

Huffman was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, serve one year of supervised release, and complete 250 hours of community. According to Page Six, Huffman's layer stated that she "will shortly complete" the supervised released portion, while the rest of her sentence has been completed. Specifically, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Huffman was completing her community service hours working with The Teen Project. "These are girls who are from at-risk populations, who have been on the streets, human trafficked or suffered addiction," the source said of the organization at which Huffman was volunteering. Huffman might have been guilty of a serious crime, but she served her time and completed her sentence dutifully.

After Felicity Huffman took care of her sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal, she had to face yet another obstacle: the public's perception of her. Obviously, people were annoyed that she paid her daughter's way to a higher SAT score and seemingly had no awareness of her privilege in doing so, but Huffman still wants to get back in society's good graces.

More specifically, an inside source told Us Weekly that Huffman wanted the public to forgive her and to "give her a second chance." Additionally, the source added that "she is hoping she will be able to make a positive impact on underprivileged young women and women who have been recently incarcerated and released and who are attempting to re-enter society" with her community service. Huffman wants to make it clear that she has learned her lesson from her time spent in prison. Whether or not the public chooses to believe that is up to them, isn't it?

As would any person's, Felicity Huffman's career was drastically impacted by her involvement in the college admissions scandal. However, Huffman served her time in prison, and because she admitted to doing wrong, Huffman was able to score a new project shortly after. Specifically, it was announced that Huffman would headline in a new ABC half-hour comedy, according to People. "She is honored and grateful to be a part of this project," a source told the magazine. Deadline reported that Huffman will play "a woman who inherits her husband's minor-league baseball team after his sudden death."

But just how was Huffman able to land a new job so quickly? Well, according to Hollywood crisis manager Howard Bragman, it was all in how Huffman dealt with the scandal. "There is a perception that she handled a very bad situation very well, and that she's done her time," Bragman told Variety. "She handled it with great humility, great class and great sincerity towards the severity of the situation." Huffman didn't take her actions, or her punishment, lightly, and that allowed her to be forgiven by her peers and land a new role relatively quickly. Honestly, good for her.