NEED TO KNOW
- Desperate Housewives became a national hit when it premiered 21 years ago on Oct. 3, 2004
- The comedic soap opera starred Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria as four best friends reconnecting after their friend (played by Brenda Strong) dies
- The series also starred Ricardo Chavira, James Denton, Nicollette Sheridan, Doug Savant, Jesse Metcalfe and Kyle MacLachlan
It’s been 21 years since Desperate Housewives changed the soap opera landscape forever.
The ABC comedy drama, which premiered on Oct. 3, 2004, followed four suburban moms on Wisteria Lane — Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) — after their lives changed following the death of their friend Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong).
As the messy series unfolds, all of the characters face challenges within their complicated relationships, growing children and ever-changing friendship dynamics. In addition to the five friends, the Emmy-winning series also starred Ricardo Chavira, James Denton, Nicollette Sheridan, Doug Savant, Jesse Metcalfe and Kyle MacLachlan.
While Desperate Housewives offers no shortage of mysterious side characters, twisted relationships and dramatic deaths, in reality, many of the cast members have been married for years and started families of their own.
DON'T MISS
Here’s everything to know about the real-life partners of the Desperate Housewives cast, from Eva Longoria to Felicity Huffman.
Eva Longoria and José Bastón
Eva Longoria and José Bastón at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2025 in Cannes, France.
Arnold Jerocki/GC Images
Longoria, who portrayed the fiery yet loyal Gabrielle Solis, has been with José “Pepe” Bastón since 2013. The Only Murders in the Building actress and the businessman initially met through a mutual friend, but didn’t hit it off until they were reintroduced a few months later.
The couple got engaged in December 2015 and got married the following May in a ceremony at Bastón’s home in Mexico.
“I’m not a fan of marriage; I like being married to him,” Longoria told PEOPLE in 2017. “I never thought I would get married again. It’s him, he makes it all worth it.”
Longoria became a mom when she and Bastón welcomed a son, Santiago, on June 19, 2018. In addition to Santiago, Longoria is also a mother to Bastón’s three children from his first marriage, daughter Natalia and twins Mariana and Jose Antonio.
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy at A New Way of Life Gala in December 2022.
Leon Bennett/Getty
Huffman, who played the dedicated mom and businesswoman Lynette Scavo, has been married to fellow actor William H. Macy for nearly three decades.
The Doc actress and the Shameless actor met in the 1980s and had an on-again, off-again relationship for 15 years before getting married in 1997. The couple are parents to two daughters: Sophia, who was born in 2000, and Georgia, who was born in 2002.
Over the years, Huffman and Macy have appeared in TV shows and movies together, including Accused, Krystal and The Water Engine. In 2012, they both received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After Huffman briefly stepped out of the acting industry amid her involvement in the 2019 college admissions scandal, Macy told Entertainment Tonight that he was “really glad” she was returning to work.
“We give each other each other’s scripts and we give each other notes. We somehow make it work,” he told the outlet in May 2024.
Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney
Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney attend the 2017 Gersh Emmy Party in September 2017.
Michael Kovac/Getty
Cross played mysterious perfectionist Bree Van De Kamp in Desperate Housewives, but in real life, she has been with her husband, Tom Mahoney, for 20 years. The Melrose Place actress and the businessman sparked romance rumors in March 2005 and were engaged that August.
Cross and Mahoney got married in California in June 2006 and later welcomed twin daughters, Eden and Savannah, in February 2007.
In 2009, Mahoney was diagnosed with throat cancer. He went into remission, but less than a decade later, his cancer was back — and Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer. The two helped support one another on their journeys to remission.
Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher attends the amfAR Gala Cannes in May 2025.
Lionel Hahn/Getty
Hatcher, who played the loveable goof Susan Mayer, appears to be single. The Tomorrow Never Dies actress was previously married to Marcus Leithold from 1988 to 1989 and fellow actor Jon Tenney from 1994 to 2003.
During her marriage to Tenney, Hatcher welcomed a daughter, Emerson, in 1997.
As for her love life now, Hatcher explained that she has a different approach to dating as she gets older and hasn’t been as active as she has in the past.
“Alright, okay, line ’em up,” Hatcher joked on a November 2024 episode of Sherri, referring to the host’s suggestion that she date younger men. “I mean people will say that to me. They’re like, ‘We can’t believe you don’t date, they must be lining up out the door,’ and I’m like ‘No.’ No, I open it once in a while, there’s nobody there.”
Ricardo Chavira and Marcea Dietzel
Ricardo Chavira and Marcea Dietzel at the 2013 NCLA ALMA Awards in Pasadena, California.
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Chavira played Gabrielle’s husband Carlos Solis, but in real life, he has been married to Marcea Dietzel since 2007. The couple welcomed son Tomás Antonio in 2003 and daughter Belén Elysabeth in 2008.
Chavira has kept much of his personal life out of the spotlight, but he occasionally posts photos of himself spending time with his children — including going to the zoo, attending basketball games and celebrating holidays together.
James Denton and Erin O’Brien-Denton
James Denton and Erin O’Brien Denton at the ‘Desperate Housewives’ season finale wrap party in April 2012.
Matt Petit/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Denton has been married to Erin O’Brien-Denton since 2001. The Good Witch actor, who portrayed heartthrob Mike Delfino, and the fitness trainer tied the knot in Las Vegas after meeting while working on a play.
In 2007, Erin reflected on their relationship, telling Shakopee Valley News that James is a “guys’ guy.”
“The reason I married him is because he’s a guy’s guy,” she told the outlet. “He’ll pick up my favorite bottle of wine. He makes the bed every morning. He’ll get ginger ale if I have an upset stomach. He’ll bring flowers and say, ‘you’re a great mom.’ He’ll even read to the kids when he’s tired and ornery.”
Erin and James are parents to two children: son Sheppard and daughter Malin.
In 2024, Denton told PEOPLE that his daughter and her friends were “binging” the hit show.
“I get stopped by all sorts of college age, early 20s women. I can always tell when it’s been rereleased on Hulu or Netflix because I get another rush of younger people stopping me on the street,” he said.
Brenda Strong and John Farmanesh-Bocca
Brenda Strong and John Farmanesh-Bocca attend Family Equality Council’s annual Impact Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on March 11, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Strong played the loveable enigma Mary Alice Young in Desperate Housewives. In her personal life, she has been married to John Farmanesh-Bocca since 2015. The two have been going strong ever since, with Strong calling him a “miracle of a human” in a tribute for his birthday in December 2024.
“He has brought so much love, laughter, art, friends, family, adventure and passion into my life and the lives of everyone who is lucky enough to call him friend, brother, and creative partner,” she captioned several photos of the two.
Strong is a mom to one child, son Zakery Henri, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Tom Henri. Just like his mom, Zak is also an actor and has appeared in Blended, Awkward and Bunheads.
Doug Savant and Laura Leighton
Laura Leighton and Dough Savant attend the Capital One presentation of KIIS FM’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2024 at Intuit Dome on December 06, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Savant, who played Lynette Scavo’s husband Tom Scavo, has been married to his fellow Melrose Place costar Laura Leighton for nearly three decades. The couple, who met on set, were initially friends before dating and later marrying in 1998.
“We were friends on the set, but then it became, ‘Oh my God, this person I think is so perfect is right here,’ ” Savant told PEOPLE in 2007. “The best thing that happened to me as a result of Melrose was meeting my wife.”
Nearly 20 years after Savant shared the sweet sentiment, Leighton said she “absolutely” agreed.
“That was a very lovely thing to say,” Leighton said in a January 2025 episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast. “Who would’ve thunk? We’re [at] 26 years of marriage, we’ve raised four children together and we’re pretty proud of that. And still going. It truly was the best thing to come out of the show.”
The couple welcomed son Jack and daughter Lucy together. Savant is also a dad to two daughters from a previous marriage, Arianna and Madeline.
