Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Desperately Devoted.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Think of us as your favorite neighbors as we chat
about life and relationships.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
All while we revisit the iconic show Desperate Housewives together.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm Terry Hatcher, I'm Andrea Bowen.
Speaker 4 (00:14):
And I'm Emerson Tenny.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Okay, welcome back everyone. I am so excited that we
are here. Can you believe it's almost twenty twenty six.
This is the end of a nine year cycle and
we were about to go into this new, expansive, abundant era.
I know, for me, I am really looking to make
(00:37):
this twenty twenty six about community and friendship and connection.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
And we have just loved seeing all of.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Your likes and comments and questions coming through our Desperately
Devoted podcast Instagram, and we wanted to answer a few
more of them before the new year.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
So let's get into it.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
This one, I think is for Andrea. Okay, from I
am I Okay, So I think I'm reading this right.
So this is from Marcie. We hear and see so
much about being a child actor, especially in the nineties
and early two thousands with documentaries like Quiet on Set
The Dark Side of Kids TV. Did you have any
(01:18):
experiences similar to the kids on these shows.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Well, so I will say that I it took me
a minute to watch that documentary because I was bracing
myself for recognizing familiar experiences in my own life growing
up as a child actor and an actor on TV.
And I will say that I was fortunate to avoid
(01:43):
a lot of the super super dark, scary sides of
the industry. But that doesn't mean that I don't have
a crop of memories that now I look back on
as an adult and recognize that they were not safe
places for me to be. They were not safe people
for me to be around. And I think the one
distinguishing thing I've known, and I knew a lot of
(02:04):
those kids that are featured in that particular documentary or
who have had those experiences, I think that it's very
impossible to put a child in an adult world and
not leave them vulnerable to experiences happening to them that
they're not ready for. I think the difference between being
on a show like Desperate Housewives was that, yes, it
(02:26):
was a mostly adult show, and obviously my co workers
were mostly adult, you know, adults. It didn't attract adults though,
who wanted to be exclusively around children. I think there's
a distinction. Well, they're the shows that were on Disney
or Nickelodeon or these other child centric networks. You might
have some adults who are attracted to work in that
working space because there are so many children there, and
(02:50):
that I think leaves the door wide open for a
lot of scary things. I have said, I have strong
feelings about my future child wanting to be in the
business in a professional capacity before she's an adult, because
I think it's really hard to protect children. I have
amazing parents, I had amazing coworkers like Terry who were
(03:10):
looking out for me, and I still had unfortunate experiences.
I had experiences growing up with adult men who were
inappropriate with me, and I was it's because I was
in a I was in that environment. It can happen anywhere, obviously,
But I do think that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I think I swore too much in front of you.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
You do interesting.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I seem to recall trying to catch myself like, I
don't think that's the kind of unfortunate experience.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Because I didn't have that perception.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
But I also was thinking of MJ.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
There is I didn't give a shit about in front
of you, but like I think was five, I was like,
oh shit, I shouldn't say that.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
I think it was a delicate balance for me too,
because I wanted to be seen as an equal. I
didn't want to feel like I was babied. I didn't
want to feel like I was treated as not a
professional who was there to do a job. But when
inappropriate things would happen. I was on a series before
Desperate Housewives where one of the leads had made an
offhanded comment about the porn Debbie Do's Dallas. I remember
(04:20):
this really, really well, and it went over my head
at the time. I didn't get it, but they felt
so terrible afterwards that they went to my mom and said,
I am so sorry that I made that comment in
front of your daughter. And I was so confused. I
felt like what was going on because I didn't even
get it at the time, and that certainly was not
a damaging thing. It didn't land with me. It wasn't.
(04:42):
But I think there's a difference. Some people are really
aware when there's a child on set, and a lot
of people aren't, and a lot of people don't feel
like it's their job just because there's a child on
set to change their behavior.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Another question that came in was is TV work a
nine to five? How long were you on set? Was
it Monday through Friday or did you come and go
throughout the week? Also, where are all the doctor's office
scenes filmed?
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Vanessa? You had so many questions A lot the.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Doctor's office scenes.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Well, maybe there's maybe the hospital, because we did use that.
That was on a set that was on Universal.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
We're all on stage in the back, and the more
there would be stories where like you'll, you know, Mike
ends up in the hospital, or Susan's in the hospital,
or Rex's in the hospital.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Julie's in the hospital.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, Julius there it's that was a stage. I don't
remember the name, but it's kind of down close to
where like the Transformer ride used to be.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, and when you say stages, I just think we
should clarify to use our sound stages on the Universal
studios a lot. Yeah, where they build sets inside of
a large room and then they're able to bring in
camera crew and light it and film it like it's
an actual space.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So all of those doctors slash hospital scenes were in
the same sound stage.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yes, there is no drama show, anything that is not
a sitcom, and even a sitcom, there is not anything
that shoots between nine and five as true. Like my
girlfriend right now is doing hair on what's it called
Saint Dennis Medical, and that show, she claims is a
(06:18):
quote unquote easy show because the everyone's really nice and
the producers are like very clear about stopping at like
ten to twelve hours, like that's they don't do any
of the crazy overtime sixteen hour days.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
But she still goes to work.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
At like five thirty in the morning and doesn't leave
until like six o'clock at night.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, yeah, I mean an eight hour workday, it doesn't
exist in Hollywood.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I mean it is. You are at least ten to
twelve hours.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, and they're on a scene and you're right thirteen
because you take away the hour for lunch, right.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And there's a union that we're a part of. And
then that union has rules and structure that you have
to adhere to, so you have to get things that
are called like a twelve hour turnaround, so that there's
twelve hours between when you wrap and when you're back
on set.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
And now there's no yes.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
To note because I think a lot of people who
aren't maybe familiar with the industry. The twelve hour turnaround
is like this big built in grace cushion. But think
about how many hours you sleep at night, like maybe
like to sleep nine hours. Now, imagine you don't get
to leave your office building, and you leave your office
building at I don't know, five pm. You have to
(07:23):
be back at five am, so.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You have to you have to drive home.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
The fact the travel time, you have to take a shower,
you have.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
To like eat dinner, you have to deal with your life,
you have to sleep, and then you have to turn
around and come back like it's it's it's.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And a lot of the time, I mean, you guys
were shooting eighteen hour days.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Yeah, we were. They tried to pull that back to
like fifteen max. But even still the fifteen hour days
a lot. And is it Monday through Friday? It usually
is Monday through Friday, but you usually finish Friday at
like four in the morning, and you usually have to
be back Monday at like five in the morning. So
they kind of like jip you of your time over
the weekend. And they do that on purpose because they
(08:03):
that's how it works. It's a listen. It's not an
easy it's not an easy gig, but you're grateful to
have you.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Here's a question, a quick and easy one from Ace
of Bess to you, Mom. Okay, Ace of Best says,
I love Terry's glasses. Oh do you get them all
from the same place? You have so many fun frames.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Oh that's so cute.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
I'm so glad that you say that glasses are really Like,
there's something might I tell Emerson all the time, read
all the books you want to read before you turn forty,
because after you turn forty and you can't see anything anymore,
it's just a pain, like, you know, the simplest thing,
Like you look at this like, oh I can't read
that without my glasses, you know anyway. But at least
(08:44):
you look good, dude, Oh thank you? And I do.
Typically there is one shop in Los Angeles that I've
been going to for a long time and seeing them
for a long time. I have a lot of Chanel,
and typically I don't I'm not like a you wouldn't say,
I'm not like a snooty brand. No, you're not really
(09:05):
sign I'm not a designer person. But I do have
a few pair of Chanelle's I do love showing my
personality through my glasses since I'm stuck with I.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Recently got into the glasses game myself after updating my
prescription for the first time in a decade and finding
out that my vision is not so good anymore. And
I agree it's really fun to express your fashion through
your glasses.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Well, I have one more question that I want to ask,
and it's to both of you.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
It's a two hander.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
This is from Georgia Kay, and she says, thanks so
much for listening and for watching the show so many
times with your mom.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
That must be to me. Uh, she says, we love
that question.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Were there people that you knew in your life who
you put into your character? This is for Andrea and
for Terry. Did you have a mother figure that you
put into your character that you were emulating? Were there
mannerisms from people in your actual life that you felt
yourself imbuing into your character.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Unlike Terry, where we've said there's some really obvious differences
between Susan and Terry, like some really really clear ones.
I would say there's a chunk of crossover between Andrea
and Julie, and so I didn't necessarily draw on a
ton of other people to bring into that character, but
I did kind of let myself come into that character
(10:23):
a lot as we continue to rewatch. I do remember
there being a real departure at a certain point where
I felt like Julie's storyline was going in a really
different way than what I would ever do, but also
than what I thought Julie would do. And that was
kind of an interesting thing.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And maybe when that happens, Yeah, because you feel so
connected to your character and why you acting that way,
feel ownership of yeah, your character, But.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
What do you think did you bring in other people
into the crafting?
Speaker 2 (10:49):
But I understand that question. I mean it's not like
something that I haven't thought of or sort of applied
to maybe other characters. But I don't think I felt
that I needed to do that here. Well, I felt
pretty locked in and familiar with the vulnerability of Susan
with you know, being a mother, being a single mother.
(11:12):
Of course I'm a very different kind of mother, but like,
I felt really locked into that, and I also just
really appreciated finding the comedic moments in it. Yeah, so
I love that.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Well, the one thing I just want to add this
was a question to me from Rita H. That we
didn't get to get to, but I think it is
important to say that Rita H. I was actually never
jealous of Andrea and the time she got to spend
with my mom. As an only child, it was really
special for me to feel like I had some version
of a simulated sister, and my mom gave me so
(11:46):
much of her attention when she wasn't on set.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
But I thought that was a really cool question. Thanks
again for sending.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
In your questions and for your kind comments, and for
your devotion to our podcast. We are desperately devoted to
all of you, our listeners, and we look forward to
being with you again in the new year. Let's have
an amazing twenty twenty six