September 9, 2025 • 55 mins
The Desperate Housewives rewatch podcast you’ve been asking for! Desperately Devoted, hosted by cast member Teri Hatcher AKA Susan Mayer, her on-screen daughter Andrea Bowen (Julie Mayer) and real-life daughter, Emerson Tenney. This tell-all about the groundbreaking series, begins with the scandalous affair and shocking suicide in the pilot. Their conversation uncovers the secrets and sins that made Desperate Housewives legendary. Plus, behind-the-scenes stories you desperately want to know.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Terry Hatcher, I'm Andrea Bowen, and I'm Emerson Tenny,
and this is desperately devoted a rewatch podcast about the
iconic television series Desperate Housewives. Whether you're watching the show
for the hundredth time or the first time like me,
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Oh, we're so glad that you're here, and we of
course are going to be watching all eight seasons and
getting into all the behind the scenes with all the
entertaining classic iconic moments, but we're also using it as
a springboard to talk about things like relationships and.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Being a woman and motherhood.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And all of the cultural references from Y two K
up until today.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
So we're glad you're here, and today.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
We're talking about the pilot.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
My gosh.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I can't start at the very beginning.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
This is a very exciting episode. It starts with a bang,
a bang, start with you got it? It starts with
the bang.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
We really like to start with discussing each of our
favorite moments from the episode. So I would love to
hear your favorite moment.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Oh, well, I have to say I I felt what
stood out to me in this episode crazy enough was
the neighborhood itself. I just think with steria, Lane is
an absolute star. Totally yeah, yeah, the neighborhood. Yeah, I
hear you, and I can't wait to talk more about her.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I would say my top moment is the cut to
missus Huber licking off what appears to be blood off
of her finger off of her kitchen counter, but it's
actually ketchup.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
It's such a perfect blend of the dramatic moment into
the comedy. And I think my favorite moment, well, there
are so many, but I think my favorite moment from
this episode has to be Lynette going into the pool
at Mary Alice's house during the wake to pull her
children out of the pool. I think it perfectly marries
this heightened world that we live in throughout Desperate Housewives
(02:01):
with the real, honest, emotional depth of the desperation that
women experience and people experience in their lives all the time.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Perfectly said yes, so here we go.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I can't wait.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Go oh my god, why, I can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I can't believe it either. I'm so excited. Okay, so
I'm so excited.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, we should tell everybody why we're here and what we're doing. Yeah,
I mean, well.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
We're here because we're going to talk about rewatching Desperate Housewives.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
We are And the name of our podcast, which we
love so much, is desperately Devoted.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
And I really feel like.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We named it that because we intend to be desperately
devoted to you are listeners, and in all ways in
terms of rewatching Desperate Housewives, but also in terms of
our relationship and what you want to hear us talk
about and what we want to share.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
With you that we hope is inspiring.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I love the idea of being desperately devoted to something.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I mean, I'm so excited. As soon as we said
the name, I said, oh, okay, we've got it, like
we're ready, We're ready for the podcast. Yeah now.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And I just can't believe that I am here with
my two daughters, one who actually came out of my
body and one who.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I met when she was thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, I know back in two thousand and four, yeap
well set of Desperate housews on with Silani Lane and
been friends ever since.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I know.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
And I was just at your wedding yes year.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I so special.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
This podcast has to happen just so that I can,
you know, see you guys, because that's I feel.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Well, that's that's what I say. I was as soon
as we talked about doing this, I said, I don't
need an excuse to hang out with my mom and
the closest thing I have to a sister. I'm an
only child. And Andrea, I mean we met when I
was seven, when you were thirteen, and it's a.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Lot of life. We lived a lot of life.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
A lot of life at three generations of women.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I know that thing.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Okay, so we watched the pilot. Everybody watched the pilot
when we did not watch it together.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I think people would be curious about that.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
We all have our individual lives and busy lives. And
so how did you watch it?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Emerson?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, so I actually watched the pilot on the plane
to Seattle. I was up on an island off the
coast of Seattle over the week, and I had seen
the pilot before. But as some people may or may
not know, I know, you guys know this. I this
is my first time watching Desperate Housewives all the way through.
I've seen select episodes, obviously the pilot being one of them.
(04:30):
But it is really going to be new for me.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So I'm badly so exciting because I think right now,
I travel a lot, and I am meeting a lot
of people that are coming to Desperate Housewives for the
very first time. I see them on my Instagram, They'll
say I just finished watching it or I'm just starting
to watch it, which is sort of unbelievable because it's
twenty years old.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
But a lot of people are having that experience.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
So you're I'm one of those people. I'm also having
that experience.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It's interesting during COVID, a lot of friends who had
gone to college with who you know, Despert Housewives wasn't
on the air then, and this was now in twenty twenty,
you know, right as we had graduated from college, and
I had all these friends from school calling me, going, wait,
is your mom Terry Hatcher like Susan Meyer's Terry Hatcher,
like the Terry Hatcher from Desperate Housewives? And I said, yes,
yes she is. And now I'm getting to experience that
(05:21):
version of you all over again. Obviously I've seen things
behind the camera on set.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I really just said, I can't wait to hear Emerson's
take on everything. I have so many questions I.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Want to hear, I questions for everything, not just the show,
just for everything.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
She keeps me young and sort of moderately relevant into
what's happening. You just said something, and I think this
is maybe a first interesting fact, and I probably jumping.
I had a tiny, tiny bit, but you just said
Susan Meyer.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
I know.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
As soon as I said it, I said, oh.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Sh no, no, not right, No, it is the same thing.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I caught the same down immediately.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So this has been I mean this way through the
whole show and even now, and even now people talking
about it and whatever that in the pilot it went
and and for every episode after that, some people would
say Mayor and some people would say Meyer. And I
used to tell people it's like the hot dog. My
Bologney has the first name, it's O.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
S A. I belove he has the second name. I
love to read it every day.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
And if you ask me why, I'll say, because Oscar Meyer,
not Mayor. Oscar Meyer has away with that hot dog.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Well I'm never forgetting that now, right, I know.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Do you remember that Mark Cherry when we had our
little one on one with him when we shot the
pilot before we shot the pilot. He uh, we asked,
you asked, I'm sure, like, how do you pronounce you know,
our last name? Is it Mayor or Meyer? And he
left it up to us and you and I chose Meyer.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Is that what happened?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And nobody listened to anything we said, but that's you're right.
So anyways, it was within the one episode because I
feel like her last name was said twice. It was
it was the voiceover, it was Mary Alice, it was
Brenda who when I'm walking out of the house that
(07:11):
introduction where I'm going.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
To the wake or the.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Memorial memorials where everyone brings food and we'll get to that,
and she says, Susan Mayer, was this was.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That last time her name's ever said? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yea yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
But then later I think in the episode I say
that it's Meyer.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
When you introduced yourself to Mike, I think, I.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Think, yeah, yeah. Anyways, but you would think that that
would be so okay?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That was that Personally, I'm kind of happy that I
got it right now. I something up. But so you
were on a plane.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Where were you?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I was on my couch. I was sitting on my
couch and I was tucked in and I made myself
snacks and I was like in the in the zone,
and I cried immediately. I was gonna, did you cry?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
What nostalgia?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I think nostalgia, pride, pregnancy hormones.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think for a lot of real.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
We should say that Andrea is pregnant with the congratulations with.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
My first baby with me and my Yeah, my husband
and I are expecting a little girl.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
So we really are for generations, Yes we are.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, a baby's going to have a lot to say,
a lot to say, a lot of opinions, but it's right, right.
So you were on your couch with your snacks, yes,
and yeah, what was what was your impression?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh my gosh. So I was immediately struck by a
few things. I would say that first, I had I
haven't seen the pilot since I think original I mean,
this was my second time seeing it MAYBEOWK. Yeah, I
don't think i've seen it since certainly not anytime recently.
And I, like everybody, was so amazed by how much
(08:57):
the show had an identity from like the open. I
don't think that's common in pilots. I mean it had
this actual glow to it, which I didn't remember the
way it was shot, the way it was lit. Yeah,
that they created this world that you just wanted to
like eat up right away.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
It was. It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So it aired October third, two thousand and four. Yes,
and I actually I've said this before, but you know,
not recently. I really feel like, you know, people wondered
why did this show become sort of the iconic thing
that it did, and you you know, they people would
ask did you know it was going to be a
(09:36):
big hit or whatever? And you know, I think all
you can ever know is that the pilot script was great.
I mean, I think I got sent the pilot script.
I have this memory of being by a pool somewhere.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Like either at some resort hotel.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
In Arizona or maybe two bunch pollongs, I don't know,
and I remember my manager sending it to me and
almost to kind of being like, we're going to try
to get you an audition, Like it wasn't even like
I necessarily would be able to get the audition.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Let alone, you know, do the thing.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And I have that feeling of reading it and just
being like, well, this is one of the best pilots
I've ever read, and also thinking which character would I
be and kind of relating to Lynette because I felt
very like Harry. You know, I was a single mom,
but for some reason that I also felt like I
(10:31):
was also the breadwinner, which kind of felt Lynnette. The
only characters I really didn't feel like were Bree, Gabby,
and Eatie.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
But I think Susan there.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Would have been problems had been cast as Gabby.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I think Susan and Lynette both spoke to me. Anyways.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You know, in this time, housewife, the idea of the
word housewife had really died off in the seventies, like
with the whole liberal burning of the raw, like that
era of women. You know, the housewife of the fifties
who was perfection and virtuous and you know had the
(11:08):
mid you know, very much the pre kind of iconic character.
But that was sort of gone and nobody was really
using the word housewife. And so Mark Cherry, I mean,
single handedly, you know, brought that word, that phrase the
housewife and the housewives like back into the culture with
(11:31):
no and and and you know responsible then.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
The real housewives absolutely.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
So I mean it was major, and it was major
because it was so good. And I had the same
impression you had, which is I can't believe I was
in this show.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Like, it just was so good. It was so well shot.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Every single line Brenda Strong with her her voiceover is
just god, yeah, flawless.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Okay, I've talked for a long time. Somebody else, go no.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I want to know your takeaways from yeah, right, about
like what you felt watching it, you know, like as
just someone who because you know it's different obviously we
all have different memories attachment to it, but also because
Emerson's such a talented writer, I want to know what
you thought of it, just from your own standpoint.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Oh, thank you, Andrea, you know I so I was
really excited obviously, not just because we're doing this together
and I love you both, but to watch this show
as a screenwriter, the interweaving of these different women's narratives
in exactly what you described from that very establishing shot
where we see this kind of ethereal glowing with Steria Lane,
which obviously becomes so iconic, and you still see it
(12:42):
even in the season of Hacks referenced on the Universal
Tour I.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
John Oliver referenced it as well. Oh oh, it was
a whole thing about Chuck Schumer and it's too long
to explain, but he basically referenced to shows. You referenced
Sex and the City, Any referenced to Desperate Housewives.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Interesting, I mean, so I think you get this incredible.
You know, it's never named where Westaria Lane is, and
it does feel yes, it aired, you know, in two
thousand and four in October, but it feels like this
any town kind of America. We all know a version
of this cul de sac, this suburban block. And I
think what Mark Cherry has done so well in establishing
(13:22):
the different housewives is exactly what you said, Mom. He's
captured these different personalities that I think, you know, most
women can see a version of themselves. And you know,
you really feel for Susan's desperation and love for her daughter,
but also kind of haplessness and the fact that she's
(13:42):
been abandoned, you know, she's been left by her previous husband.
Then you also feel the empowered Lynette, who's a business
woman but who's also given that up to try to
experience motherhood, which I know so many women obviously do.
And then agree, who is the you know, epitome of
everything up to be a quote unquote perfect mom. You
(14:03):
know that idea of the word trad wife.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I think I thought of blame that to me, that's
is that a TikTok thing?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, yeah, it's on. I mean it's on. I'm not
on TikTok. Sokay for me to speak on what's on
TikTok is funny, but a youth y thank you you
are seven year old youth. No, I feel like, you know,
it's this idea of a traditional that's what a trad wife.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
But it's like to the end degree, you.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Know, to I don't want to let my child have
cereal out of the box, so I'm going to make
fruit loops from scratch from fruit that I grow on
a tree in my backyard.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And were looking Christine and perfect.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Because that's what a woman that is. You know, you would.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Have been a really perfect TikTok star.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I know, I don't know she would have been. And
I think it's interesting because I feel like this really
came up a lot during COVID, this idea of being
a I don't even want to necessarily just a housewife,
house man, housewoman, house non binary person. We were all
in our houses and we were kind of returning to
everyone was making sour dough everyone was trying to cook
at home, And in some ways I'm resentful of Bree
(15:15):
because I'm jealous. You know, I want to have time
to make everything from scratch and know how to sew
all the buttons back onto my clothes and not have
to take anything to the dry cleaner. And and then
it also, I, you know, have ambitions and desires that
just don't allow me the time or the wherewithal to
do something like that.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think part of do you think, I mean, well,
first of all, do you guys feel like you are
any of the characters? I feel like one of the
reasons it resonated through generations of people is because we
can all see a little bit of our of each
of them in us, Like it's hard to say I'm
just this person. Yeah, but did you sort of gravitate
(16:01):
to words anybody?
Speaker 3 (16:02):
That's so interesting? I think that I feel like I
will as I continue watching the show. I'm excited for that,
because you know, rewatching the pilot is so It's just
I was so instantly flooded with memories and being transported
back to like being in my thirteen year old, fourteen
year old body. You know that I don't know that.
(16:24):
I necessarily thought, Oh, I feel like I'm identifying with
so and so, you know, like obviously I feel connected
to Susan. Yeah, you know, so I'm excited to kind
of maybe this is a.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Good time to just talk about how can I swear
in this podcast?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:38):
How fucking great you were?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
She was the third team, I mean when she got
oh okay.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
First of all, I didn't get the first like laugh out.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
So I watched it by myself, by the way, watched
in my living room where my big screen TV is.
So I watched it on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Many animals did you have with you?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You know? None?
Speaker 2 (17:00):
They were all downstairs because you have to go upstairs,
and the dog is too old to go up the stairs,
so he stayed downstairs. And the cat is not that
friendly anyways. So I watch it alone, and I watched
it on the big screen in the living room, and
my first laugh out loud was you, and it was
it and it was the line.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
And then they.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Laughed and then and they laughed, and I just laughed
out loud. Man, you were spunky. That scene where you
went over and it's just one line where you go
over to Mike's house, and you say that you kick
the soccer ball.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
In the thing and you're.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Just so great, So like tell me, like, I remember
knowing this is my perception of working with you, and
immediately like in the pilot, where you know, we're just
getting to know each other in real time pretty much.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I mean, people might think that we had like chemistry
reads and things like that, which we didn't.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We yeah, we didn't.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
They thought it worked out.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Yeah, And I remember.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Feeling like I really wanted to treat you, like I
want to say, like a real actress.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
But it's not like an.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Adult actress, Like you would never go onto a set
with another adult and just assume that all the decisions
about the scene were going to be your way. You know,
it's a it's a I mean, it might be the
director's way, but it's it's a you know, it's a
collaboration of what people's ideas were. And I always wanted
to treat you that way, and you equally like brought
(18:33):
I thought, like brought such such a grounded sense of
confidence for somebody so young.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I mean she was thirteen.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Wait, I'm so curious, Andrew, because mom, I know.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
I have so much to say in response I said,
but well.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You talked about how you got the script. You were
maybe by a pool, potentially in Arizona or Palm Springs, Andrew,
do you remember you.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Got No, I don't remember when I got the script.
I don't know if I got the script before. You know,
I just got my sides, you know, I do. I
do remember my first audition, which was a lovely experience,
and it was kind of unique in that it was
a rainy Saturday in LA which is weird that it rained,
and that it was a weekend audition. And I remember
(19:13):
what I wore, which was ugly, but it felt it
felt like somehow right for the character. Not that I
thought she should wear something ugly, but it just felt
like the right shirt. Anyway. Maybe it was like a
good luck audition shirt, but it was like a short
sleeved striped peach and like cream colored collared shirt. Anyway,
and I met with Scott Gangkincher, one of our lovely
(19:34):
casting directors, and and I think, if my ego isn't
serving my memory that he said that he gave me
a callback on the spot, and that he said, don't
change a thing. My callback, however, was a much scarier experience,
which we can you know, talk about another time. But
I why, okay, my scary, my scary callback that big
(20:00):
that was like a stage thing where you're down on
the thing and all.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
The people from ABC.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
That was my screen test.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Oh okay.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
The callback was just I don't remember where it was,
but it was just a regular casting room. But Mark
Cherry and Charles McDougal, the director of a pilot, and
our producers, yeah, were sat behind a long table, you know,
all facing me. And I felt so confident going in
because I wore the same ugly shirt as.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I said, don't change. He said, I will not got it.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
You know, And and I went in and I did
my read and we did it was like three scenes
probably the three scenes or four scenes from the pilot
or whatever. And I had a great time and I
was feeling the vibes and it was good. And then
Mark Cherry had my headshot and resume you know, in
front of him, and he talked, we have you know,
he loves theater and Broadway and so he mentioned like
I had done Broadway in New York and it all
felt really good. And then Charles, who's lovely by the way,
(20:49):
but he's you know, a British man. And he said
to me, did you coach with someone for your audition?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
What?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And I was like, uh no, oh I did. I didn't.
I didn't work with an acting coach. I just kind
of ran the lines with my mom and dad. You know,
he said, I'm thirteen, and I don't think yeah. He
gave He didn't really give me a reaction. He was
just like, Okay, that's good to know, thank you, you know.
And I by that because I couldn't interpret what it meant,
(21:17):
and I interpreted as meaning something bad, and so I left.
I had to go to ballet class. After that, I left.
I went to my ballet class and I was so
worked up, which is unusual for me, because I was like,
you know, a professional kid. I didn't. I was like,
let it roll off your back. And I went to
ballet class and I couldn't stop thinking about that, and
I left in the middle it, went to the bathroom
and cried.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Oh, I know, wow, Charles McDougall, if you hear this,
and you know he did, that was my I've never
heard of anything like that.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
And I actually think, and maybe this is what you're
going to say.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know. I mean, yeah, go ahead, No, no
you gohad no, no, you go ahead, Okay, final'll go ahead.
No I was gonna say. I actually I completely get
as a kid feeling like, oh my gosh, he's implying
that something is wrong. But I take it as actually
implying that you have really good natural instincts that whatever
you came up with on your own, he wanted to
(22:11):
know you'd come up with on your own, as opposed
to coaching with some acting coach who coaches dozens of
other child actors in LA. I agree, and that there's
actually like a natural spark that he was responding to.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, I agree that.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I agree that that's probably what he meant and what
he was seeking out.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
But it is weird. He was awesome. I mean, I
just pilot.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I would I Every time I think about the potential
of possibly ever creating some sort of comedy again, I
always think like, oh.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
What would I do if Charles mcdo? Who would direct it?
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Oh? God, it's so great. But he had this quirky thing,
and this goes to the pilot. On the pilot, he
wore the same suit every day. Do you remember that no,
or or he wore a suit every day. It was
either and I know those are both like very distinct differences,
no one wearing suit or wearing a suit, but so
much so that suit was like wearing a suit was
(23:04):
just emblazoned into my brain that I went to all
the women on the show as a rap gift for
the pilot, and I said, do you guys want to
go in with me? I think we should buy Charles
a really nice suits. So I went to like Bloomingdale's
or Sacks or somewhere and got him a suit.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
This is so you, You're so thank you gift for
the pilot, thank you gift for the end of the season,
for every birthday.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Gift giving, gift giving. I guess it's a love language. Yes,
and food, as you will see. Yes, I think we're
going to delve into the food moving along in the pilot.
What would it so we all think Westeria Lane became
(23:52):
a star constantly, Yes, I mean I mean a character.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I mean that's right, and and.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
And every just it's all I'm almost when I say like,
I'm surprised, I can't believe I was in it is
is stepping back and looking at that initial pilot I
mean the.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Music was dancing Elmore.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
How did they do how did they get Danny Elfman pilot?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I saw that. I saw that in the credits and
I said, oh my god, Danny Elfman did the music
for this.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
That would be interesting to find out.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Dream composer Dream amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, So that was amazing. Every single actor was amazing.
The writing was amazing, the lighting was amazing, the editing
was amazing. You know again, Brenda Strong, the voiceover was amazing.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I mean every opening that just to just to one
moment on Brenda Strong and the opening of the pilot.
You know, she's narrating how it's an ordinary day and
then it ends in her suicide, the cold open, which
was unheard of for an opening of a pilot at
that time on TV. And I think from the minute
(24:59):
like that, pop goes off and then we cut so
gesiusly to Martha Hubert, and to me, that just set
the tone for the entire show. It's going to be
a show about looking into the lives of.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Other people and their darkest moments.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
How much do we actually want to know about our neighbors?
And also this really interesting idea that I have been
sitting with since I watched it of the kind of
mayhem of suburban boredom, you know, like the idea that
our neighbors are on our blocks. You know, the Martha
Hoober character who's just waiting to have a reason to
go knock on someone else's door or stir something up,
(25:34):
and she kind of becomes a catalyst for a lot
of the action and also really smart, you know, narration
device between the different women's lives, how she returns the
blender returns whatever. Yeah, I just I found that so interesting.
And I think I heard that this Mark Cherry was
originally inspired to write Desperate Housewives after hearing about a
(25:56):
murder case of a mother in Texas who killed her
for five kids.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Yeah, I think that's true.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I didn't personally talk to him
about it, so I know that that's you know, kind
of stuff that you read, but I know that he
worked on it for a long time. Yeah, Like, and
that it was a spec script and god bless the specscript.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I know. Well, I mean, you know it is it's
as a writer.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I mean, you could probably talk to that, Like, I
don't know if people really know the difference between specscripts
and you know what happens. I mean, things have changed
a lot, obviously in Hollywood in the last twenty years,
but what was happening then was mostly that you would
go to the network with a treatment. You would pitch it,
maybe you would have an actor attached, and the network
(26:44):
would pay the writer to write the script, and then
if they liked that pilot, then they would actually film
the pilot, and then if they liked the filmed pilot,
then they would put it on the air for a season.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
And that was kind of how it worked. It was
pretty rare.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
That somebody would walk in with an already done, developed
specscript completed and say do you want to make this?
I mean, that was very rare and I do think
that that. You know, Netflix kind of turned that on
its head. When Netflix first started, they had like the
opposite mandate, which was they wouldn't you had to have
(27:19):
your finished script, And that's what kind of yeah, and
that's what kind of began. The the writer doesn't get
paid to write the script and then the writer gets
paid when the thing gets made. When the other way
the way I was saying, you go pitch it and
then the network pays you to write the pilot. That
seems to have gone by the wayside.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
It's interesting because as you're talking about, like the way
things have changed, I was something I kept thinking about
consuming the show is you know, Desperate Housewise was, as
people called it, appointment television, right, they would sit down
every Sunday.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
That's the thought I didn't finish, by the way, go ahead, Okay, Well,
and so I wonder, and there's no way for us
to know, but I do wonder.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I guess there is because this is how some people
probably are watching it and experiencing it for the first time,
the idea of like binging it because we would wait
a week, Right, did you watch the show in real time?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I think I did watch it in real time if
Emerson was asleep. And this does.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Nine mem on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Yes, yes, And.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
This does bring me back to the point I was
going to make that I dropped off of, which was
when people ask you, did you know it was going
to be a hit?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
And I knew it was a great script.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But I've always said this that the fact that it
was aired on a Sunday night and not at eight
o'clock and not at ten o'clock, but at nine o'clock
and as a single mom, I absolutely related to I
am up early, I am going all day. It is kid, kid, kid, kid, kid,
(28:55):
It is wife. You know, husband, husband, husbands whatever, whatever.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I was divorced, but I mean that's what the experience
of being a mom and a wife is, and that
one hour you've got the kid to bed on Sunday night,
but it's not so late that you can't be that
you have to go to bed. That one hour is
like your hour. And I really feel that if they
(29:20):
had put it on Thursday night, where they had like
Gray's Anatomy and some other I just I'm not.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Sure it would have worked. I felt.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I feel like they just women collectively were like, this
is my hour.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Wow, don't bother me.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
It just goes to show, though, how many different factors
went in to make it just like lightning in a bottle. Yeah,
I mean it really was, because you know, you said
how great everyone is, and that was something else like
watching it as a thirteen year old and whatever, fourteen
year old when it aired the first time, I think
I was so excited and proud to be a part
of it. And you know, of course I thought everyone
(29:56):
was amazing watching it again now with just more life
experience and a lot more acting experience and all the things,
I mean, really everything about it was so fantastic for
any show, for a pilot. I mean, it was just
so impressive. And by the first commercial break you had
met all the main players, and you didn't just meet them,
(30:18):
I mean you really felt like, ah, I've got insight
into who these people are and.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Around this great mystery. Yeah. Yeah, the whole season it was.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
An unbelievably well executed fusion of storytelling and chemistry of
the character, the actors actually playing these characters, and whatever
magic happens that those characters come off the page and
become real. I don't know, I'm not sure.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I always thought all of.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
The people in the show were great, but somehow Marcia
is resonating with me, at least in this first few episodes. Yeah,
I just I you know, I know, I'm not going
to get into like their state of mind because I
don't know what their journey was, so I'm here to
represent my journey. But I kind of recall her feeling
(31:12):
like maybe she wasn't so good with comedy and all.
If she ever hears this, and if she ever thought
she wasn't she was. I mean, the timing of the
muffin I'm gonna need the basket it was about.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
To say, that is flawless.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
It's absolutely flawless. It's perfect.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
The line where they're in the hospital and you tried
to kill me and she says, well, well, I feel
badly about that.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I mean, just no, it's pitch perfect. She really is.
So she's really she's really jumping off the screen at me.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
She was.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I mean, you know, but it's it's not a battle
of who's better. It just it's interesting to rewatch, really excellent.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
The comedy is so sharp alongside the drama and the mystery.
I mean, Lynette's character at the way the memorial when
the kids get into the pool and then she just
dives into that pool. Hm, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
And she has the one strand of hair and she
like flicks it and she says, I'm sorry, we have
to leave now, you know, yeah, I know, on whatever
bit of dignity, she's still in a muster. It's it's
really it's funny and it's poignant, and it was and it.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Somehow feels believable still, you know, I feel like we
could that happens?
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, that's why.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
And I was gonna say, do you like again because
you were so young when it aired originally and now
here we are in twenty twenty five. Do you feel
like the relationships, the the things that the show was
trying to say, do they still feel culturally relevant? I mean,
did any of it? You know how they'll say sometimes oh, well,
that's you can't say that anymore or whatever, like like,
(32:50):
I feel like it's it's it translates. Well, I feel like, yeah,
I think.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
I agree too. I mean I was gonna say, I,
as I said, I'm watching it for the first time,
so I've only watched the first two episodes. Okay, so
maybe it's you know, to say, how is the overall
themes commenting on culture? You know a little bit early
for me to tell, although I do think all of
the different women, you know, Gabby and Brie and Lynette
and Susan, they all feel really relevant and still relatable
(33:23):
different parts of their struggles and their isolations and their
joys and failures. I totally felt connected to I think,
you know, it's interesting that you ask did anything stand
out like, oh god, that's you know, cancelable now. The
one thing that stood out and I actually wrote it down.
I said, how do we feel about women being called sluts?
(33:44):
Missus Huber calls Edie a slut in the pilot.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
I wrote it down as one of my favorite lines
I did. I did flag it as being like, wow,
we probably wouldn't say it now, but but you know
that kind of biting, stinging thing.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Was Oh, I mean I think, but yeah, I would
one hundred percent still write a character like Missus Hooper
now who makes those kinds of comments. You know, she's
another singer in the second episode that I will save
until we talk about that next. But I yeah, I
think she's hilarious, and I think it's you know, she
is just on the line of what is appropriate or
(34:21):
not appropriate tearing other women down, being a friend in quotation,
because they are the kind.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Of each other's like partner, you know. Like I thought
that was really interesting because I didn't remember the dynamic
between Edie and Missus Houber being like they were kind
of I don't know, yes, friends, like they were in
a lot of scenes together, and I didn't really remember that.
But I thought that contrast was great. But I did
think that something and Honestly, I don't know how deep
(34:48):
I want to wade into these waters because but I
wonder how we feel about the John the Gardener. I
was actually wrote it down as something to talk to
you about Emerson, because I thought that you might have
a really interesting take on it, or at least a
really well kind of fair opinion on that story.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Well, I definitely have more to say about that character
in the second episode too, but John, about John, okay,
and about some specific things about his character, I guess
I can say in terms of they're affair starting to
be exposed in the pilot, you know that we see
Gabby as this beautiful woman who seemingly has it all
except of course, love and passion in her marriage, which
(35:32):
I feel like is honestly something we just saw explored
in The Materialists, that movie that just came out.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Oh I didn't see that.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I haven't seen it either.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah. Great, Dakota Johnson, Pedro, Hascal Slein song. You know
who wrote Past Lives, which I love.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
And I've heard that this was actually I don't know
the movie she wrote before Past Lives, So sometimes that happens.
But kind of this idea age old idea of like,
is the life with the money and the security that
we want worth it if it's ultimately lacking that spark
for actual passion and meaning and meaning, right, you know,
(36:08):
is it worth having that facade? And I think I
think it's easier to show that when you see Gabby
have that spark and passion with someone else. You know,
it would be different if she was just talking about it.
But to see what she has with John the gardener,
and then to see the kind of loveless that she
has with her actual husband, you know. Infidelity, I think
(36:31):
is so interesting. And I know Andrew, you and I
have talked about this, not on this podcast, my own
personal ideas of I feel like I fall on the
I'm not saying that I would cheat on someone. I
fall on the more lenient side of I don't know
that infidelity to me is an immediate deal breaker. I
think an ongoing affair would be, because it's the lying part,
(36:56):
but the actual cheating part I think is sometimes indicative
of underlying issues in a relationship that you know, if
you really love someone, maybe you want to address and
and work through. And to me, that's not ever been
something that I feel like I wouldn't be able to
get past. Of course, you know Gabby's character toast the line,
it does seem a little bit like it actually, you know,
(37:17):
is an ongoing affair, but also it's clearly indicative of
an underlying But.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Yeah, well, I want.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
To talk about the second episode.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Okay, yeah, because they definitely we hear that more about
in the second episode. But there is the line of
the you're much too young to smoke? Is that in
the second episode or is that in the first episode
when he says can I have a drag? After they've
had sex? I think I think that's in the first episode.
So in the first episode, after Gabby and John have
had sex, she's puffing on a cigarette, right, and he says,
(37:45):
can I have a drag? Or something like that, and
then she says, oh, you're much too young to smoke.
And it's so great for television, right, Like it's such
a funny dichotomy to present. But also it just has
me thinking about that, right because my character was thirty
years You.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Feel like, and I'm going to have to be aware
of this as we're watching it, because I do. It
is resonating in my mind that like, even after eight seasons.
I feel like it was a question that I always
wondered if Gabby was ever going to get nailed for
sleeping with somebody underage.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Right, And.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
I mean I felt that way for all the years
that we know, was that ever going to be a storyline?
Speaker 4 (38:27):
And I don't believe I never did get addressed.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I don't. Well, I guess we'll find out. I guess
we'll find out. But yeah, I wonder it too, And
I wonder how that I would love, you know, the
people who are just discovering the show now, especially the
ones on the you know, younger side of things, or no,
not even really specifically the ones on the younger side
of things, but just to hear what their takeaways are
of that, because to introduce a character, and you love
(38:50):
Gabby right like you love all the women. That's another
big part is I feel like you instantly love these
people and you care about them, and so it's really
interesting that they gave her something like that that could
be so polarizing and could make her so unlikable, and
yet it was handled in a way where you got it.
I guess, you know, you kind of understand.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
I think they got at least in the pilot, Like,
I think some of the more express things you're talking
about don't get totally revealed in the pilot. I had
much more of a question about him after the first episode, like, yes,
he seems young, but how young is he? We don't know?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Okay, so then we'll we'll that.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Yeah, which, Okay, I have something did? I have a
couple of things to point out. Did anybody notice what
is on my neck?
Speaker 3 (39:35):
I've noticed it. It's very pretty.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
I notice. I'll tell you because I noticed immediately when
we've walked into this podcasting room and for the podcast.
Here we are now that you were wearing two of
the necklaces that Susan wore on the pilot.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
In the pilot, Yes, all three of these. All three
of these. Yeah. So which which says?
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Which are your necklaces?
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Arsenal necklaces? Which that has to say?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I have to say, again, I don't remember everything, but
you have to wonder why was I wearing my own necklaces?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Maybe they were emotional support, Maybe they made you feel safe.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
I mean, it could have it could have done that.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
But I also sort of feel like I have this,
I have this loose recollection of like at the beginning
the whole like wardrobe, hair, makeup. It's just like, I'm
not sure they realized they were doing a show with
five women. Like I kind of feel like maybe somebody
(40:37):
didn't get the memo.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
We change it, yeah, years ago, so maybe.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
I mean, it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
That's a lot of costumes, that's a lot of hair
and makeup. That's a lot of women that need attention.
And but yes, so one of these necklaces has a
little heart and a little Lucky Penny and they were
both charms off of my childhood charm bracelet. And then
(41:05):
the other one is a little Saint Christopher and that
is supposed to be like for traveling, yeah, like for
safety and trust, and and then so is the red one.
And I wore this on different different outfits. And I
don't know actually.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
What the reason was.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Maybe you're right, maybe it was to kind of give
me a grounded sense. I mean I could see myself
doing that, but uh yeah, but when I watched it,
I was like, those are my necklaces.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
I borrowed those.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Oh that's so great. Okay, So obviously I've known Terry
a long time. I've known Terry for over half my life.
I have known. Yeah, it's so weird, you know, yeah,
And I always knew what it was like to work
(41:59):
with you, right, Like I watched the way you'd show
up to set, and you always came like just so chuck,
full of ideas and so prepared, and you know, I
was always in awe of you as an as an actor.
Thank you and Rewatching the pilot, I mean, you're so good.
You are so so good I feel I mean, it's weird,
right because I'm I was your on screen daughter, and
(42:22):
you know whatever, but I feel so proud of you
watching it. I'm just like, I'm actually felt really proud
of both of us.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
I was like, you know what, I felt proud of you.
Speaker 2 (42:31):
Well, well, here's a little I ran into Michael Edelstein
actually not that long ago. He was one of the
producers on the show, and he said to me that
he tells a story about the pilot and something I
did all the time to people as this is what
(42:53):
an actor does, like this is and I was like, wow,
this is this is very complimentary. He remains, speaking of
wardrobe that I was kind of like, I don't think upset,
but I was just like I needed to know from
the wardrobe department, what the costume was that I was
going to be wearing for the scene. When I go
(43:15):
over to meet Mike and Edie also comes up with
her putin esca or whatever, and it's both of us
there at the door, competing for his attention, and that
he recalls me being with the ward department. I really
need to know that in advance. It's important to me.
And they couldn't quite understand why it was important. And
he couldn't even really quite understand why it was important.
(43:38):
And he said, and then when you requested a cardigan,
like you wanted to make sure that the sweater opened
and not a sweater that you put over your head.
And then I saw you do the scene, and I
saw you do this comedic thing, and he said, he said,
he tells everybody that was not in the script, that
was completely not in the script.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
She just totally did that.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
She said, you did this thing where you looked over
at her breath and then you looked down at your breast,
and then you took the sweater and kind of like
closed it over your breast, and that told so much of.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
The story of who.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Susan was in this moment and he goes, and that
was all you. That was completely not anywhere, And that
was the day that I went, oh, my gosh, Terry
Hatcher is a great actress and I have to like,
I mean, it.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
Is true though, like that is a subtle, but.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
It was years later somebody like I was like, you.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
You're talking about it is so revealing of her kids.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
It is.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Yeah, and also you know, it's just it's an amazing moment,
but it also it really kind of hints at the fact,
as we will explore as the show goes on. But
like talk about physical comedy. I mean, Terry, I was
on the set with you in multiple occasions where you
were so committed to the physical comedic moment that you
actually injured yourself pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (44:59):
I believe there. Like, yeah, there's a couple of times
damaged cornea.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Yeah, wait so, but I just wanted you guys being
in scenes together and the thing that's sitting between us
in the room. I want to know about the very
iconic scene at the wake when Susan shows up with
the horrible macaroni and cheese and what that was like
for both of you, and maybe we can talk about
(45:23):
that a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Okay, Well, first of all, I think it's a funny
thing that people confuse.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
You with your character.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Like I would say a predominant characteristic that has happened
in my relationship with my fans over the last twenty
years is that people will say to me, you can cook.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
I didn't know you can cook.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
Susan can cook, and I'm like, okay, I'm not Susan.
I know it seems like, yes, I was a single mom,
she was a single mom. But that's pretty much where
we share a face.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
That's anyways.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
So, but about that scene, it actually was. It's part
of what I love about physical comedy. And I don't know,
it'd be interesting to see how you remember it, but.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
It was very choreographed, like it.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Was to the point where I think there may have
been fishing line for the foil, for the.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Foil that's coming off.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I think you're selling yourself short because I do remember,
and I actually wrote it down because I don't know
if I ever told you, And it was one of
my first impressions of you, was the fact that you
could and maybe you didn't if there was fishing. I
think we talked about it, but I think you you
were like, let me try. I think I might be
able to get it to go, and she did. She
(46:35):
walks down the street right, and you're it's like we're
closing the door, we're walking down the street. We've got
to get it's a walk and talk, you know, So
there's always an art form to that. And they she
you were able to get that foil to lift off
that mac and cheese and the right moment, and again
it's like it's showing that you're a harried, kind of frazzled,
you know person. And I think that was.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
All you think I did. I think that was all
I don't But I guess the reason I'm remembering the
fishing line.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
We must have talked about it with Charles, like like
because I knew that it was part of the comedy,
like we've got it's part of what you're and this
is what was so what you were saying about the
first five minutes of the show, you feel like you
know everything, you feel you know and and that's what
made it, those little moments that you you and and
again not sure if I remember if that was in
(47:21):
the script or not, but yes, so horrible macaroni cheese.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
So I felt like under cook on arm podcast.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
People, but we all love food. Emerson and I have.
We spent her childhood every summer going on epic trips
around the world going to We used to get the
fifty best Restaurant in the World list for the year,
and we used to try to pick an area and
then go to as many restaurants as we could in
(47:49):
that area. And we have a tradition of huge Christmas
Eve dinner where we do lots of cooking. And I
know you amazing cook Andrea, and love cooking, so we
thought that we would make the Food of Desperate Housewives
a part of our podcast. I made since I just
want to prove to everybody that I can't cook. I
(48:11):
made a gourmet for cheese mac.
Speaker 3 (48:14):
Oh my gosh, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (48:20):
Okay, wow, I wish you could to begin now, I know,
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I want to know more Andrew, about what you remember
about that scene. And I also, once my mom is
done dishing out her not terrible mac and cheese, but
I want to know about what she remembers about meeting
Jamie also because that was like there first, yeah, and
what a seen.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
I know, I have to come back for this he
had to be called James. We all called him Jamie.
Oh gosh, he remember, Oh yeah, he wanted to be James.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
He thought Jamie was like too.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
I'm so sorry, Well, James, James is honestly super cute. Yes,
But but Andrew, you comment on yours, What do you
remember of that that mom because it's such an iconic
scene where you see everybody together for the first time.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Yeah, you know, I don't. I really more remember the
scene with Terry and I just crossing the street, you know,
because I really loved that dialogue, that back and forth
between Susan and Julie, you know, where I say, you know,
why would someone kill themselves? I mean, it's such a
like stop in the middle of the street moment. And
(49:29):
I think as a mother, right, like you're always fielding,
or as a parent, I should say, you're fielding these
heavy hitter questions that your kids just kind of throw
at you casually and you have to figure out in
the moment how to respond, and you know, you give
a perfect response in my opinion, it's like it satisfies
the question without saying too much. And you're like, well,
sometimes people appear differently, you know, on the outside than
(49:49):
they are on the inside. And then you know, I
Julie says the thing about like, oh, you mean how
Dad's girlfriend, you know, always acts like she's nice, but
deep down she's a bitch, and you then say, you're like, well,
I don't like that word, but yes, that's a great thing.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
All that little back and forth I just loved so much.
And I remember, like, you know, to your point, and
I did want to circle back, just really briefly to
the fact that you mentioned wanting to treat me as
a coworker, wanting to treat me as a fellow actor,
and that meant so much to me. Still means so
much to me, But it was something I felt from
day one with you, was that I did feel like
(50:27):
and I took myself very seriously as a child performer,
and I felt like I had a job to do
and I wanted to be respected, and I wanted to
be professional and all the things, and not everybody treats
children on set that way, and you always did, and
it means so much to me. But I also think
it really it really shaped kind of how we settled
(50:49):
in and the dynamic that Susan and Julie had.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
Yeah, yeah, I love that moment that you're talking about too,
and I know we're going to get to eating this
amazing mac and cheese, But just that question of why
would someone kill themselves, which really is the question that
sets all of our protagonists on the course of trying
to investigate this over the course of the season. And
it was the one moment because Susan is such a
different mom than mom you were to me. But the
(51:15):
way she responds in that moment, with that level of
kind of pause and thoughtfulness and also maturity. You know,
she's not talking down to a kid or trying to
explain something away about why someone might do something as
drastic as taking their own life. It really did remind
me of you. I that was the one moment where
I said, oh, I feel like that is how my
(51:36):
mom would talk to me when I was that age
and answer that question. And then I really saw it
and that's good. Yeah, I mean I guess, yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
Yeah, Yes, I raised a good kid.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
Everyone really well rounded. Interesting.
Speaker 1 (51:50):
Okay, I know, like, do we try this?
Speaker 2 (51:53):
Yeah, I know, and it should be hot. It was
hot when we got here, but.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
It's going to be pretty I'm literally in my mouth
as water.
Speaker 4 (52:00):
I don't know if we're allowed to like choose.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
Oh my god, Oh my god, I know right the.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Chewing side are gonna go over really well.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Okay, honestly, you guys, I watch a SMR like all
the time. Do well, not the chewing one because I
hate that. It's what we're doing right now.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
What ones do you watch.
Speaker 1 (52:19):
Like where they do your makeup. They're like, oh, we're
gonna like tap on your favorite, like put on this
eyeshadow and we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (52:26):
Okay, I really do watch that all the time.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
Not all the time, but like.
Speaker 4 (52:33):
About my daughter.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Really, it's so relaxing. If I'm like, want to fall asleep.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
Of amount of planes into any cool category, well definitely doesn't.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Well this doesn't.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
But like you have a community, and CMR is like
a community of community. Make sure that my weird like
internet indulgence is part of anything anyone does, which is
that I like to watch people pack. Yeah, so I
think that I like watching like disorganized chaos turn into
organized chaos.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
Is this like on an Instagram reels.
Speaker 3 (53:03):
Like when people test out like luggage or like a
bag and they show you how much stuff they can
fit in it, and I find that to be really calming.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
At what time of day do you watch, oh you
know late night? Yeah times, No, that's what I assumed,
but I didn't want.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
To watch our secret videos.
Speaker 1 (53:19):
Okay, mom, this mac and cheese is so good. Can
you give us just like what is the.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
Talk about the choice of noodle and talk.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
About what's your what's your one secret about making your
mac and cheese that Susan would never know?
Speaker 2 (53:33):
Okay, well, you want your pasta whatever kind of elbowie
shape it is. You want it to be al dente
because you're also gonna bake it in the oven after
you boil it.
Speaker 4 (53:43):
I use it's it's.
Speaker 2 (53:45):
Three cheeses in the sauce, but then parmesan on the top,
so it's really four cheeses. And my my my secret
combo is Manchego white cheddar and grey air. This has
been I don't know, I feel like so collect we
all love the pilot?
Speaker 1 (54:01):
Oh god, ten out of ten?
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Yeah, yeah, I'm out of ten.
Speaker 1 (54:04):
Really.
Speaker 4 (54:05):
I mean that.
Speaker 1 (54:05):
I'm not just saying that because I love the two
of you and we're doing this podcast.
Speaker 4 (54:10):
Oh they're not all going to be ten.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
And you'll call that out that's true, but this is
a big, big hit.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
Yeah, that's really the pot I've ever seen. I think
it is the best pilot of any show I've ever seen.
And I've consumed a lot of television, and I don't
know that I got it. I mean I obviously got
it at the time, right, like I thought, oh gosh,
everyone loves it and that's so great. But watching it now,
after having seen so much more television in my life.
Speaker 1 (54:32):
I.
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Yeah, they say really something about nostalgia. Now.
Speaker 2 (54:37):
I know for you, you haven't seen it before, so maybe
this doesn't apply. But they do say that some of
the reason that people are enjoying going back and watching
things that they're familiar with is because it lands in
our brain in a safer place, like we don't have
the unpredictability of like what's going to happen, so there's
less stress. And so that's why everyone should join us
(55:01):
and start watching Desperate Housewives again and talking with us
about it and sharing it. I think we want people
to write in and got us let us know, Like
if you have questions or thoughts about the show or
about life or anything you think the three of us
could help you with, we would love to be there
for you because we are desperately devoted to you.
Speaker 4 (55:24):
Yes, I can't us see you next week
Hi, I'm Terry Hatcher, I'm Andrea Bowen, and I'm Emerson Tenny,
and this is desperately devoted a rewatch podcast about the
iconic television series Desperate Housewives. Whether you're watching the show
for the hundredth time or the first time like me,
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Oh, we're so glad that you're here, and we of
course are going to be watching all eight seasons and
getting into all the behind the scenes with all the
entertaining classic iconic moments, but we're also using it as
a springboard to talk about things like relationships and.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Being a woman and motherhood.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And all of the cultural references from Y two K
up until today.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
So we're glad you're here, and today.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
We're talking about the pilot.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
My gosh.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I can't start at the very beginning.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
This is a very exciting episode. It starts with a bang,
a bang, start with you got it? It starts with
the bang.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
We really like to start with discussing each of our
favorite moments from the episode. So I would love to
hear your favorite moment.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Oh, well, I have to say I I felt what
stood out to me in this episode crazy enough was
the neighborhood itself. I just think with steria, Lane is
an absolute star. Totally yeah, yeah, the neighborhood. Yeah, I
hear you, and I can't wait to talk more about her.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I would say my top moment is the cut to
missus Huber licking off what appears to be blood off
of her finger off of her kitchen counter, but it's
actually ketchup.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
It's such a perfect blend of the dramatic moment into
the comedy. And I think my favorite moment, well, there
are so many, but I think my favorite moment from
this episode has to be Lynette going into the pool
at Mary Alice's house during the wake to pull her
children out of the pool. I think it perfectly marries
this heightened world that we live in throughout Desperate Housewives
(02:01):
with the real, honest, emotional depth of the desperation that
women experience and people experience in their lives all the time.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Perfectly said yes, so here we go.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I can't wait.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Go oh my god, why, I can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I can't believe it either. I'm so excited. Okay, so
I'm so excited.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, we should tell everybody why we're here and what we're doing. Yeah,
I mean, well.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
We're here because we're going to talk about rewatching Desperate Housewives.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
We are And the name of our podcast, which we
love so much, is desperately Devoted.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
And I really feel like.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We named it that because we intend to be desperately
devoted to you are listeners, and in all ways in
terms of rewatching Desperate Housewives, but also in terms of
our relationship and what you want to hear us talk
about and what we want to share.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
With you that we hope is inspiring.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And I love the idea of being desperately devoted to something.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I mean, I'm so excited. As soon as we said
the name, I said, oh, okay, we've got it, like
we're ready, We're ready for the podcast. Yeah now.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And I just can't believe that I am here with
my two daughters, one who actually came out of my
body and one who.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
I met when she was thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, I know back in two thousand and four, yeap
well set of Desperate housews on with Silani Lane and
been friends ever since.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I know.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
And I was just at your wedding yes year.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I so special.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
This podcast has to happen just so that I can,
you know, see you guys, because that's I feel.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Well, that's that's what I say. I was as soon
as we talked about doing this, I said, I don't
need an excuse to hang out with my mom and
the closest thing I have to a sister. I'm an
only child. And Andrea, I mean we met when I
was seven, when you were thirteen, and it's a.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Lot of life. We lived a lot of life.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
A lot of life at three generations of women.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I know that thing.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Okay, so we watched the pilot. Everybody watched the pilot
when we did not watch it together.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I think people would be curious about that.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
We all have our individual lives and busy lives. And
so how did you watch it?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Emerson?
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, so I actually watched the pilot on the plane
to Seattle. I was up on an island off the
coast of Seattle over the week, and I had seen
the pilot before. But as some people may or may
not know, I know, you guys know this. I this
is my first time watching Desperate Housewives all the way through.
I've seen select episodes, obviously the pilot being one of them.
(04:30):
But it is really going to be new for me.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
So I'm badly so exciting because I think right now,
I travel a lot, and I am meeting a lot
of people that are coming to Desperate Housewives for the
very first time. I see them on my Instagram, They'll
say I just finished watching it or I'm just starting
to watch it, which is sort of unbelievable because it's
twenty years old.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
But a lot of people are having that experience.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
So you're I'm one of those people. I'm also having
that experience.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It's interesting during COVID, a lot of friends who had
gone to college with who you know, Despert Housewives wasn't
on the air then, and this was now in twenty twenty,
you know, right as we had graduated from college, and
I had all these friends from school calling me, going, wait,
is your mom Terry Hatcher like Susan Meyer's Terry Hatcher,
like the Terry Hatcher from Desperate Housewives? And I said, yes,
yes she is. And now I'm getting to experience that
(05:21):
version of you all over again. Obviously I've seen things
behind the camera on set.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I really just said, I can't wait to hear Emerson's
take on everything. I have so many questions I.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Want to hear, I questions for everything, not just the show,
just for everything.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
She keeps me young and sort of moderately relevant into
what's happening. You just said something, and I think this
is maybe a first interesting fact, and I probably jumping.
I had a tiny, tiny bit, but you just said
Susan Meyer.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
I know.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
As soon as I said it, I said, oh.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Sh no, no, not right, No, it is the same thing.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I caught the same down immediately.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
So this has been I mean this way through the
whole show and even now, and even now people talking
about it and whatever that in the pilot it went
and and for every episode after that, some people would
say Mayor and some people would say Meyer. And I
used to tell people it's like the hot dog. My
Bologney has the first name, it's O.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
S A. I belove he has the second name. I
love to read it every day.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
And if you ask me why, I'll say, because Oscar Meyer,
not Mayor. Oscar Meyer has away with that hot dog.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Well I'm never forgetting that now, right, I know.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Do you remember that Mark Cherry when we had our
little one on one with him when we shot the
pilot before we shot the pilot. He uh, we asked,
you asked, I'm sure, like, how do you pronounce you know,
our last name? Is it Mayor or Meyer? And he
left it up to us and you and I chose Meyer.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Is that what happened?
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And nobody listened to anything we said, but that's you're right.
So anyways, it was within the one episode because I
feel like her last name was said twice. It was
it was the voiceover, it was Mary Alice, it was
Brenda who when I'm walking out of the house that
(07:11):
introduction where I'm going.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
To the wake or the.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Memorial memorials where everyone brings food and we'll get to that,
and she says, Susan Mayer, was this was.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
That last time her name's ever said? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yea yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
But then later I think in the episode I say
that it's Meyer.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
When you introduced yourself to Mike, I think, I.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Think, yeah, yeah. Anyways, but you would think that that
would be so okay?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That was that Personally, I'm kind of happy that I
got it right now. I something up. But so you
were on a plane.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Where were you?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I was on my couch. I was sitting on my
couch and I was tucked in and I made myself
snacks and I was like in the in the zone,
and I cried immediately. I was gonna, did you cry?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
What nostalgia?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I think nostalgia, pride, pregnancy hormones.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
I think for a lot of real.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
We should say that Andrea is pregnant with the congratulations with.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
My first baby with me and my Yeah, my husband
and I are expecting a little girl.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
So we really are for generations, Yes we are.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Yeah, a baby's going to have a lot to say,
a lot to say, a lot of opinions, but it's right, right.
So you were on your couch with your snacks, yes,
and yeah, what was what was your impression?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh my gosh. So I was immediately struck by a
few things. I would say that first, I had I
haven't seen the pilot since I think original I mean,
this was my second time seeing it MAYBEOWK. Yeah, I
don't think i've seen it since certainly not anytime recently.
And I, like everybody, was so amazed by how much
(08:57):
the show had an identity from like the open. I
don't think that's common in pilots. I mean it had
this actual glow to it, which I didn't remember the
way it was shot, the way it was lit. Yeah,
that they created this world that you just wanted to
like eat up right away.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
It was. It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So it aired October third, two thousand and four. Yes,
and I actually I've said this before, but you know,
not recently. I really feel like, you know, people wondered
why did this show become sort of the iconic thing
that it did, and you you know, they people would
ask did you know it was going to be a
(09:36):
big hit or whatever? And you know, I think all
you can ever know is that the pilot script was great.
I mean, I think I got sent the pilot script.
I have this memory of being by a pool somewhere.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Like either at some resort hotel.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
In Arizona or maybe two bunch pollongs, I don't know,
and I remember my manager sending it to me and
almost to kind of being like, we're going to try
to get you an audition, Like it wasn't even like
I necessarily would be able to get the audition.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Let alone, you know, do the thing.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
And I have that feeling of reading it and just
being like, well, this is one of the best pilots
I've ever read, and also thinking which character would I
be and kind of relating to Lynette because I felt
very like Harry. You know, I was a single mom,
but for some reason that I also felt like I
(10:31):
was also the breadwinner, which kind of felt Lynnette. The
only characters I really didn't feel like were Bree, Gabby,
and Eatie.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
But I think Susan there.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Would have been problems had been cast as Gabby.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I think Susan and Lynette both spoke to me. Anyways.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You know, in this time, housewife, the idea of the
word housewife had really died off in the seventies, like
with the whole liberal burning of the raw, like that
era of women. You know, the housewife of the fifties
who was perfection and virtuous and you know had the
(11:08):
mid you know, very much the pre kind of iconic character.
But that was sort of gone and nobody was really
using the word housewife. And so Mark Cherry, I mean,
single handedly, you know, brought that word, that phrase the
housewife and the housewives like back into the culture with
(11:31):
no and and and you know responsible then.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
The real housewives absolutely.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
So I mean it was major, and it was major
because it was so good. And I had the same
impression you had, which is I can't believe I was
in this show.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Like, it just was so good. It was so well shot.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Every single line Brenda Strong with her her voiceover is
just god, yeah, flawless.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Okay, I've talked for a long time. Somebody else, go no.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I want to know your takeaways from yeah, right, about
like what you felt watching it, you know, like as
just someone who because you know it's different obviously we
all have different memories attachment to it, but also because
Emerson's such a talented writer, I want to know what
you thought of it, just from your own standpoint.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Oh, thank you, Andrea, you know I so I was
really excited obviously, not just because we're doing this together
and I love you both, but to watch this show
as a screenwriter, the interweaving of these different women's narratives
in exactly what you described from that very establishing shot
where we see this kind of ethereal glowing with Steria Lane,
which obviously becomes so iconic, and you still see it
(12:42):
even in the season of Hacks referenced on the Universal
Tour I.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
John Oliver referenced it as well. Oh oh, it was
a whole thing about Chuck Schumer and it's too long
to explain, but he basically referenced to shows. You referenced
Sex and the City, Any referenced to Desperate Housewives.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Interesting, I mean, so I think you get this incredible.
You know, it's never named where Westaria Lane is, and
it does feel yes, it aired, you know, in two
thousand and four in October, but it feels like this
any town kind of America. We all know a version
of this cul de sac, this suburban block. And I
think what Mark Cherry has done so well in establishing
(13:22):
the different housewives is exactly what you said, Mom. He's
captured these different personalities that I think, you know, most
women can see a version of themselves. And you know,
you really feel for Susan's desperation and love for her daughter,
but also kind of haplessness and the fact that she's
(13:42):
been abandoned, you know, she's been left by her previous husband.
Then you also feel the empowered Lynette, who's a business
woman but who's also given that up to try to
experience motherhood, which I know so many women obviously do.
And then agree, who is the you know, epitome of
everything up to be a quote unquote perfect mom. You
(14:03):
know that idea of the word trad wife.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I think I thought of blame that to me, that's
is that a TikTok thing?
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Yeah, yeah, it's on. I mean it's on. I'm not
on TikTok. Sokay for me to speak on what's on
TikTok is funny, but a youth y thank you you
are seven year old youth. No, I feel like, you know,
it's this idea of a traditional that's what a trad wife.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
But it's like to the end degree, you.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Know, to I don't want to let my child have
cereal out of the box, so I'm going to make
fruit loops from scratch from fruit that I grow on
a tree in my backyard.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
And were looking Christine and perfect.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Because that's what a woman that is. You know, you would.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Have been a really perfect TikTok star.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I know, I don't know she would have been. And
I think it's interesting because I feel like this really
came up a lot during COVID, this idea of being
a I don't even want to necessarily just a housewife,
house man, housewoman, house non binary person. We were all
in our houses and we were kind of returning to
everyone was making sour dough everyone was trying to cook
at home, And in some ways I'm resentful of Bree
(15:15):
because I'm jealous. You know, I want to have time
to make everything from scratch and know how to sew
all the buttons back onto my clothes and not have
to take anything to the dry cleaner. And and then
it also, I, you know, have ambitions and desires that
just don't allow me the time or the wherewithal to
do something like that.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
I think part of do you think, I mean, well,
first of all, do you guys feel like you are
any of the characters? I feel like one of the
reasons it resonated through generations of people is because we
can all see a little bit of our of each
of them in us, Like it's hard to say I'm
just this person. Yeah, but did you sort of gravitate
(16:01):
to words anybody?
Speaker 3 (16:02):
That's so interesting? I think that I feel like I
will as I continue watching the show. I'm excited for that,
because you know, rewatching the pilot is so It's just
I was so instantly flooded with memories and being transported
back to like being in my thirteen year old, fourteen
year old body. You know that I don't know that.
(16:24):
I necessarily thought, Oh, I feel like I'm identifying with
so and so, you know, like obviously I feel connected
to Susan. Yeah, you know, so I'm excited to kind
of maybe this is a.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Good time to just talk about how can I swear
in this podcast?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (16:38):
How fucking great you were?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
She was the third team, I mean when she got
oh okay.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
First of all, I didn't get the first like laugh out.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
So I watched it by myself, by the way, watched
in my living room where my big screen TV is.
So I watched it on the big screen.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Many animals did you have with you?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You know? None?
Speaker 2 (17:00):
They were all downstairs because you have to go upstairs,
and the dog is too old to go up the stairs,
so he stayed downstairs. And the cat is not that
friendly anyways. So I watch it alone, and I watched
it on the big screen in the living room, and
my first laugh out loud was you, and it was
it and it was the line.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
And then they.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Laughed and then and they laughed, and I just laughed
out loud. Man, you were spunky. That scene where you
went over and it's just one line where you go
over to Mike's house, and you say that you kick
the soccer ball.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
In the thing and you're.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Just so great, So like tell me, like, I remember
knowing this is my perception of working with you, and
immediately like in the pilot, where you know, we're just
getting to know each other in real time pretty much.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I mean, people might think that we had like chemistry
reads and things like that, which we didn't.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
We yeah, we didn't.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
They thought it worked out.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Yeah, And I remember.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Feeling like I really wanted to treat you, like I
want to say, like a real actress.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
But it's not like an.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Adult actress, Like you would never go onto a set
with another adult and just assume that all the decisions
about the scene were going to be your way. You know,
it's a it's a I mean, it might be the
director's way, but it's it's a you know, it's a
collaboration of what people's ideas were. And I always wanted
to treat you that way, and you equally like brought
(18:33):
I thought, like brought such such a grounded sense of
confidence for somebody so young.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I mean she was thirteen.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Wait, I'm so curious, Andrew, because mom, I know.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
I have so much to say in response I said,
but well.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You talked about how you got the script. You were
maybe by a pool, potentially in Arizona or Palm Springs, Andrew,
do you remember you.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Got No, I don't remember when I got the script.
I don't know if I got the script before. You know,
I just got my sides, you know, I do. I
do remember my first audition, which was a lovely experience,
and it was kind of unique in that it was
a rainy Saturday in LA which is weird that it rained,
and that it was a weekend audition. And I remember
(19:13):
what I wore, which was ugly, but it felt it
felt like somehow right for the character. Not that I
thought she should wear something ugly, but it just felt
like the right shirt. Anyway. Maybe it was like a
good luck audition shirt, but it was like a short
sleeved striped peach and like cream colored collared shirt. Anyway,
and I met with Scott Gangkincher, one of our lovely
(19:34):
casting directors, and and I think, if my ego isn't
serving my memory that he said that he gave me
a callback on the spot, and that he said, don't
change a thing. My callback, however, was a much scarier experience,
which we can you know, talk about another time. But
I why, okay, my scary, my scary callback that big
(20:00):
that was like a stage thing where you're down on
the thing and all.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
The people from ABC.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
That was my screen test.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Oh okay.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
The callback was just I don't remember where it was,
but it was just a regular casting room. But Mark
Cherry and Charles McDougal, the director of a pilot, and
our producers, yeah, were sat behind a long table, you know,
all facing me. And I felt so confident going in
because I wore the same ugly shirt as.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I said, don't change. He said, I will not got it.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
You know, And and I went in and I did
my read and we did it was like three scenes
probably the three scenes or four scenes from the pilot
or whatever. And I had a great time and I
was feeling the vibes and it was good. And then
Mark Cherry had my headshot and resume you know, in
front of him, and he talked, we have you know,
he loves theater and Broadway and so he mentioned like
I had done Broadway in New York and it all
felt really good. And then Charles, who's lovely by the way,
(20:49):
but he's you know, a British man. And he said
to me, did you coach with someone for your audition?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
What?
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And I was like, uh no, oh I did. I didn't.
I didn't work with an acting coach. I just kind
of ran the lines with my mom and dad. You know,
he said, I'm thirteen, and I don't think yeah. He
gave He didn't really give me a reaction. He was
just like, Okay, that's good to know, thank you, you know.
And I by that because I couldn't interpret what it meant,
(21:17):
and I interpreted as meaning something bad, and so I left.
I had to go to ballet class. After that, I left.
I went to my ballet class and I was so
worked up, which is unusual for me, because I was like,
you know, a professional kid. I didn't. I was like,
let it roll off your back. And I went to
ballet class and I couldn't stop thinking about that, and
I left in the middle it, went to the bathroom
and cried.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Oh, I know, wow, Charles McDougall, if you hear this,
and you know he did, that was my I've never
heard of anything like that.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
And I actually think, and maybe this is what you're
going to say.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
I don't know. I mean, yeah, go ahead, No, no
you gohad no, no, you go ahead, Okay, final'll go ahead.
No I was gonna say. I actually I completely get
as a kid feeling like, oh my gosh, he's implying
that something is wrong. But I take it as actually
implying that you have really good natural instincts that whatever
you came up with on your own, he wanted to
(22:11):
know you'd come up with on your own, as opposed
to coaching with some acting coach who coaches dozens of
other child actors in LA. I agree, and that there's
actually like a natural spark that he was responding to.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, I agree that.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
I agree that that's probably what he meant and what
he was seeking out.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
But it is weird. He was awesome. I mean, I
just pilot.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I would I Every time I think about the potential
of possibly ever creating some sort of comedy again, I
always think like, oh.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
What would I do if Charles mcdo? Who would direct it?
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Oh? God, it's so great. But he had this quirky thing,
and this goes to the pilot. On the pilot, he
wore the same suit every day. Do you remember that no,
or or he wore a suit every day. It was
either and I know those are both like very distinct differences,
no one wearing suit or wearing a suit, but so
much so that suit was like wearing a suit was
(23:04):
just emblazoned into my brain that I went to all
the women on the show as a rap gift for
the pilot, and I said, do you guys want to
go in with me? I think we should buy Charles
a really nice suits. So I went to like Bloomingdale's
or Sacks or somewhere and got him a suit.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
This is so you, You're so thank you gift for
the pilot, thank you gift for the end of the season,
for every birthday.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Gift giving, gift giving. I guess it's a love language. Yes,
and food, as you will see. Yes, I think we're
going to delve into the food moving along in the pilot.
What would it so we all think Westeria Lane became
(23:52):
a star constantly, Yes, I mean I mean a character.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I mean that's right, and and.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
And every just it's all I'm almost when I say like,
I'm surprised, I can't believe I was in it is
is stepping back and looking at that initial pilot I
mean the.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Music was dancing Elmore.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
How did they do how did they get Danny Elfman pilot?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I saw that. I saw that in the credits and
I said, oh my god, Danny Elfman did the music
for this.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
That would be interesting to find out.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Dream composer Dream amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Yeah, So that was amazing. Every single actor was amazing.
The writing was amazing, the lighting was amazing, the editing
was amazing. You know again, Brenda Strong, the voiceover was amazing.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
I mean every opening that just to just to one
moment on Brenda Strong and the opening of the pilot.
You know, she's narrating how it's an ordinary day and
then it ends in her suicide, the cold open, which
was unheard of for an opening of a pilot at
that time on TV. And I think from the minute
(24:59):
like that, pop goes off and then we cut so
gesiusly to Martha Hubert, and to me, that just set
the tone for the entire show. It's going to be
a show about looking into the lives of.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Other people and their darkest moments.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
How much do we actually want to know about our neighbors?
And also this really interesting idea that I have been
sitting with since I watched it of the kind of
mayhem of suburban boredom, you know, like the idea that
our neighbors are on our blocks. You know, the Martha
Hoober character who's just waiting to have a reason to
go knock on someone else's door or stir something up,
(25:34):
and she kind of becomes a catalyst for a lot
of the action and also really smart, you know, narration
device between the different women's lives, how she returns the
blender returns whatever. Yeah, I just I found that so interesting.
And I think I heard that this Mark Cherry was
originally inspired to write Desperate Housewives after hearing about a
(25:56):
murder case of a mother in Texas who killed her
for five kids.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Yeah, I think that's true.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I didn't personally talk to him
about it, so I know that that's you know, kind
of stuff that you read, but I know that he
worked on it for a long time. Yeah, Like, and
that it was a spec script and god bless the specscript.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I know. Well, I mean, you know it is it's
as a writer.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
I mean, you could probably talk to that, Like, I
don't know if people really know the difference between specscripts
and you know what happens. I mean, things have changed
a lot, obviously in Hollywood in the last twenty years,
but what was happening then was mostly that you would
go to the network with a treatment. You would pitch it,
maybe you would have an actor attached, and the network
(26:44):
would pay the writer to write the script, and then
if they liked that pilot, then they would actually film
the pilot, and then if they liked the filmed pilot,
then they would put it on the air for a season.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
And that was kind of how it worked. It was
pretty rare.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
That somebody would walk in with an already done, developed
specscript completed and say do you want to make this?
I mean, that was very rare and I do think
that that. You know, Netflix kind of turned that on
its head. When Netflix first started, they had like the
opposite mandate, which was they wouldn't you had to have
(27:19):
your finished script, And that's what kind of yeah, and
that's what kind of began. The the writer doesn't get
paid to write the script and then the writer gets
paid when the thing gets made. When the other way
the way I was saying, you go pitch it and
then the network pays you to write the pilot. That
seems to have gone by the wayside.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
It's interesting because as you're talking about, like the way
things have changed, I was something I kept thinking about
consuming the show is you know, Desperate Housewise was, as
people called it, appointment television, right, they would sit down
every Sunday.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
That's the thought I didn't finish, by the way, go ahead, Okay, Well,
and so I wonder, and there's no way for us
to know, but I do wonder.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I guess there is because this is how some people
probably are watching it and experiencing it for the first time,
the idea of like binging it because we would wait
a week, Right, did you watch the show in real time?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I think I did watch it in real time if
Emerson was asleep. And this does.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Nine mem on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Yes, yes, And.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
This does bring me back to the point I was
going to make that I dropped off of, which was
when people ask you, did you know it was going
to be a hit?
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
And I knew it was a great script.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
But I've always said this that the fact that it
was aired on a Sunday night and not at eight
o'clock and not at ten o'clock, but at nine o'clock
and as a single mom, I absolutely related to I
am up early, I am going all day. It is kid, kid, kid, kid, kid,
(28:55):
It is wife. You know, husband, husband, husbands whatever, whatever.
Speaker 4 (28:58):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I was divorced, but I mean that's what the experience
of being a mom and a wife is, and that
one hour you've got the kid to bed on Sunday night,
but it's not so late that you can't be that
you have to go to bed. That one hour is
like your hour. And I really feel that if they
(29:20):
had put it on Thursday night, where they had like
Gray's Anatomy and some other I just I'm not.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Sure it would have worked. I felt.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
I feel like they just women collectively were like, this
is my hour.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Wow, don't bother me.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
It just goes to show, though, how many different factors
went in to make it just like lightning in a bottle. Yeah,
I mean it really was, because you know, you said
how great everyone is, and that was something else like
watching it as a thirteen year old and whatever, fourteen
year old when it aired the first time, I think
I was so excited and proud to be a part
of it. And you know, of course I thought everyone
(29:56):
was amazing watching it again now with just more life
experience and a lot more acting experience and all the things,
I mean, really everything about it was so fantastic for
any show, for a pilot. I mean, it was just
so impressive. And by the first commercial break you had
met all the main players, and you didn't just meet them,
(30:18):
I mean you really felt like, ah, I've got insight
into who these people are and.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Around this great mystery. Yeah. Yeah, the whole season it was.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
An unbelievably well executed fusion of storytelling and chemistry of
the character, the actors actually playing these characters, and whatever
magic happens that those characters come off the page and
become real. I don't know, I'm not sure.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I always thought all of.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
The people in the show were great, but somehow Marcia
is resonating with me, at least in this first few episodes. Yeah,
I just I you know, I know, I'm not going
to get into like their state of mind because I
don't know what their journey was, so I'm here to
represent my journey. But I kind of recall her feeling
(31:12):
like maybe she wasn't so good with comedy and all.
If she ever hears this, and if she ever thought
she wasn't she was. I mean, the timing of the
muffin I'm gonna need the basket it was about.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
To say, that is flawless.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
It's absolutely flawless. It's perfect.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
The line where they're in the hospital and you tried
to kill me and she says, well, well, I feel
badly about that.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I mean, just no, it's pitch perfect. She really is.
So she's really she's really jumping off the screen at me.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
She was.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
I mean, you know, but it's it's not a battle
of who's better. It just it's interesting to rewatch, really excellent.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
The comedy is so sharp alongside the drama and the mystery.
I mean, Lynette's character at the way the memorial when
the kids get into the pool and then she just
dives into that pool. Hm, oh my god.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
And she has the one strand of hair and she
like flicks it and she says, I'm sorry, we have
to leave now, you know, yeah, I know, on whatever
bit of dignity, she's still in a muster. It's it's
really it's funny and it's poignant, and it was and it.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Somehow feels believable still, you know, I feel like we
could that happens?
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, that's why.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
And I was gonna say, do you like again because
you were so young when it aired originally and now
here we are in twenty twenty five. Do you feel
like the relationships, the the things that the show was
trying to say, do they still feel culturally relevant? I mean,
did any of it? You know how they'll say sometimes oh, well,
that's you can't say that anymore or whatever, like like,
(32:50):
I feel like it's it's it translates. Well, I feel like, yeah,
I think.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
I agree too. I mean I was gonna say, I,
as I said, I'm watching it for the first time,
so I've only watched the first two episodes. Okay, so
maybe it's you know, to say, how is the overall
themes commenting on culture? You know a little bit early
for me to tell, although I do think all of
the different women, you know, Gabby and Brie and Lynette
and Susan, they all feel really relevant and still relatable
(33:23):
different parts of their struggles and their isolations and their
joys and failures. I totally felt connected to I think,
you know, it's interesting that you ask did anything stand
out like, oh god, that's you know, cancelable now. The
one thing that stood out and I actually wrote it down.
I said, how do we feel about women being called sluts?
(33:44):
Missus Huber calls Edie a slut in the pilot.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
I wrote it down as one of my favorite lines
I did. I did flag it as being like, wow,
we probably wouldn't say it now, but but you know
that kind of biting, stinging thing.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Was Oh, I mean I think, but yeah, I would
one hundred percent still write a character like Missus Hooper
now who makes those kinds of comments. You know, she's
another singer in the second episode that I will save
until we talk about that next. But I yeah, I
think she's hilarious, and I think it's you know, she
is just on the line of what is appropriate or
(34:21):
not appropriate tearing other women down, being a friend in quotation,
because they are the kind.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Of each other's like partner, you know. Like I thought
that was really interesting because I didn't remember the dynamic
between Edie and Missus Houber being like they were kind
of I don't know, yes, friends, like they were in
a lot of scenes together, and I didn't really remember that.
But I thought that contrast was great. But I did
think that something and Honestly, I don't know how deep
(34:48):
I want to wade into these waters because but I
wonder how we feel about the John the Gardener. I
was actually wrote it down as something to talk to
you about Emerson, because I thought that you might have
a really interesting take on it, or at least a
really well kind of fair opinion on that story.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Well, I definitely have more to say about that character
in the second episode too, but John, about John, okay,
and about some specific things about his character, I guess
I can say in terms of they're affair starting to
be exposed in the pilot, you know that we see
Gabby as this beautiful woman who seemingly has it all
except of course, love and passion in her marriage, which
(35:32):
I feel like is honestly something we just saw explored
in The Materialists, that movie that just came out.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Oh I didn't see that.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I haven't seen it either.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah. Great, Dakota Johnson, Pedro, Hascal Slein song. You know
who wrote Past Lives, which I love.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
And I've heard that this was actually I don't know
the movie she wrote before Past Lives, So sometimes that happens.
But kind of this idea age old idea of like,
is the life with the money and the security that
we want worth it if it's ultimately lacking that spark
for actual passion and meaning and meaning, right, you know,
(36:08):
is it worth having that facade? And I think I
think it's easier to show that when you see Gabby
have that spark and passion with someone else. You know,
it would be different if she was just talking about it.
But to see what she has with John the gardener,
and then to see the kind of loveless that she
has with her actual husband, you know. Infidelity, I think
(36:31):
is so interesting. And I know Andrew, you and I
have talked about this, not on this podcast, my own
personal ideas of I feel like I fall on the
I'm not saying that I would cheat on someone. I
fall on the more lenient side of I don't know
that infidelity to me is an immediate deal breaker. I
think an ongoing affair would be, because it's the lying part,
(36:56):
but the actual cheating part I think is sometimes indicative
of underlying issues in a relationship that you know, if
you really love someone, maybe you want to address and
and work through. And to me, that's not ever been
something that I feel like I wouldn't be able to
get past. Of course, you know Gabby's character toast the line,
it does seem a little bit like it actually, you know,
(37:17):
is an ongoing affair, but also it's clearly indicative of
an underlying But.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Yeah, well, I want.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
To talk about the second episode.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Okay, yeah, because they definitely we hear that more about
in the second episode. But there is the line of
the you're much too young to smoke? Is that in
the second episode or is that in the first episode
when he says can I have a drag? After they've
had sex? I think I think that's in the first episode.
So in the first episode, after Gabby and John have
had sex, she's puffing on a cigarette, right, and he says,
(37:45):
can I have a drag? Or something like that, and
then she says, oh, you're much too young to smoke.
And it's so great for television, right, Like it's such
a funny dichotomy to present. But also it just has
me thinking about that, right because my character was thirty
years You.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Feel like, and I'm going to have to be aware
of this as we're watching it, because I do. It
is resonating in my mind that like, even after eight seasons.
I feel like it was a question that I always
wondered if Gabby was ever going to get nailed for
sleeping with somebody underage.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Right, And.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
I mean I felt that way for all the years
that we know, was that ever going to be a storyline?
Speaker 4 (38:27):
And I don't believe I never did get addressed.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I don't. Well, I guess we'll find out. I guess
we'll find out. But yeah, I wonder it too, And
I wonder how that I would love, you know, the
people who are just discovering the show now, especially the
ones on the you know, younger side of things, or no,
not even really specifically the ones on the younger side
of things, but just to hear what their takeaways are
of that, because to introduce a character, and you love
(38:50):
Gabby right like you love all the women. That's another
big part is I feel like you instantly love these
people and you care about them, and so it's really
interesting that they gave her something like that that could
be so polarizing and could make her so unlikable, and
yet it was handled in a way where you got it.
I guess, you know, you kind of understand.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
I think they got at least in the pilot, Like,
I think some of the more express things you're talking
about don't get totally revealed in the pilot. I had
much more of a question about him after the first episode, like, yes,
he seems young, but how young is he? We don't know?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
Okay, so then we'll we'll that.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
Yeah, which, Okay, I have something did? I have a
couple of things to point out. Did anybody notice what
is on my neck?
Speaker 3 (39:35):
I've noticed it. It's very pretty.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
I notice. I'll tell you because I noticed immediately when
we've walked into this podcasting room and for the podcast.
Here we are now that you were wearing two of
the necklaces that Susan wore on the pilot.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
In the pilot, Yes, all three of these. All three
of these. Yeah. So which which says?
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Which are your necklaces?
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Arsenal necklaces? Which that has to say?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I have to say, again, I don't remember everything, but
you have to wonder why was I wearing my own necklaces?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Maybe they were emotional support, Maybe they made you feel safe.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
I mean, it could have it could have done that.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
But I also sort of feel like I have this,
I have this loose recollection of like at the beginning
the whole like wardrobe, hair, makeup. It's just like, I'm
not sure they realized they were doing a show with
five women. Like I kind of feel like maybe somebody
(40:37):
didn't get the memo.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
We change it, yeah, years ago, so maybe.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
I mean, it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
That's a lot of costumes, that's a lot of hair
and makeup. That's a lot of women that need attention.
And but yes, so one of these necklaces has a
little heart and a little Lucky Penny and they were
both charms off of my childhood charm bracelet. And then
(41:05):
the other one is a little Saint Christopher and that
is supposed to be like for traveling, yeah, like for
safety and trust, and and then so is the red one.
And I wore this on different different outfits. And I
don't know actually.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
What the reason was.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Maybe you're right, maybe it was to kind of give
me a grounded sense. I mean I could see myself
doing that, but uh yeah, but when I watched it,
I was like, those are my necklaces.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
I borrowed those.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Oh that's so great. Okay, So obviously I've known Terry
a long time. I've known Terry for over half my life.
I have known. Yeah, it's so weird, you know, yeah,
And I always knew what it was like to work
(41:59):
with you, right, Like I watched the way you'd show
up to set, and you always came like just so chuck,
full of ideas and so prepared, and you know, I
was always in awe of you as an as an actor.
Thank you and Rewatching the pilot, I mean, you're so good.
You are so so good I feel I mean, it's weird,
right because I'm I was your on screen daughter, and
(42:22):
you know whatever, but I feel so proud of you
watching it. I'm just like, I'm actually felt really proud
of both of us.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
I was like, you know what, I felt proud of you.
Speaker 2 (42:31):
Well, well, here's a little I ran into Michael Edelstein
actually not that long ago. He was one of the
producers on the show, and he said to me that
he tells a story about the pilot and something I
did all the time to people as this is what
(42:53):
an actor does, like this is and I was like, wow,
this is this is very complimentary. He remains, speaking of
wardrobe that I was kind of like, I don't think upset,
but I was just like I needed to know from
the wardrobe department, what the costume was that I was
going to be wearing for the scene. When I go
(43:15):
over to meet Mike and Edie also comes up with
her putin esca or whatever, and it's both of us
there at the door, competing for his attention, and that
he recalls me being with the ward department. I really
need to know that in advance. It's important to me.
And they couldn't quite understand why it was important. And
he couldn't even really quite understand why it was important.
(43:38):
And he said, and then when you requested a cardigan,
like you wanted to make sure that the sweater opened
and not a sweater that you put over your head.
And then I saw you do the scene, and I
saw you do this comedic thing, and he said, he said,
he tells everybody that was not in the script, that
was completely not in the script.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
She just totally did that.
Speaker 2 (43:58):
She said, you did this thing where you looked over
at her breath and then you looked down at your breast,
and then you took the sweater and kind of like
closed it over your breast, and that told so much of.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
The story of who.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Susan was in this moment and he goes, and that
was all you. That was completely not anywhere, And that
was the day that I went, oh, my gosh, Terry
Hatcher is a great actress and I have to like,
I mean, it.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
Is true though, like that is a subtle, but.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
It was years later somebody like I was like, you.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
You're talking about it is so revealing of her kids.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
It is.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
Yeah, and also you know, it's just it's an amazing moment,
but it also it really kind of hints at the fact,
as we will explore as the show goes on. But
like talk about physical comedy. I mean, Terry, I was
on the set with you in multiple occasions where you
were so committed to the physical comedic moment that you
actually injured yourself pretty bad.
Speaker 4 (44:59):
I believe there. Like, yeah, there's a couple of times
damaged cornea.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Yeah, wait so, but I just wanted you guys being
in scenes together and the thing that's sitting between us
in the room. I want to know about the very
iconic scene at the wake when Susan shows up with
the horrible macaroni and cheese and what that was like
for both of you, and maybe we can talk about
(45:23):
that a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Okay, Well, first of all, I think it's a funny
thing that people confuse.
Speaker 4 (45:28):
You with your character.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
Like I would say a predominant characteristic that has happened
in my relationship with my fans over the last twenty
years is that people will say to me, you can cook.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
I didn't know you can cook.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
Susan can cook, and I'm like, okay, I'm not Susan.
I know it seems like, yes, I was a single mom,
she was a single mom. But that's pretty much where
we share a face.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
That's anyways.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
So, but about that scene, it actually was. It's part
of what I love about physical comedy. And I don't know,
it'd be interesting to see how you remember it, but.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
It was very choreographed, like it.
Speaker 2 (46:07):
Was to the point where I think there may have
been fishing line for the foil, for the.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Foil that's coming off.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
I think you're selling yourself short because I do remember,
and I actually wrote it down because I don't know
if I ever told you, And it was one of
my first impressions of you, was the fact that you
could and maybe you didn't if there was fishing. I
think we talked about it, but I think you you
were like, let me try. I think I might be
able to get it to go, and she did. She
(46:35):
walks down the street right, and you're it's like we're
closing the door, we're walking down the street. We've got
to get it's a walk and talk, you know, So
there's always an art form to that. And they she
you were able to get that foil to lift off
that mac and cheese and the right moment, and again
it's like it's showing that you're a harried, kind of frazzled,
you know person. And I think that was.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
All you think I did. I think that was all
I don't But I guess the reason I'm remembering the
fishing line.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
We must have talked about it with Charles, like like
because I knew that it was part of the comedy,
like we've got it's part of what you're and this
is what was so what you were saying about the
first five minutes of the show, you feel like you
know everything, you feel you know and and that's what
made it, those little moments that you you and and
again not sure if I remember if that was in
(47:21):
the script or not, but yes, so horrible macaroni cheese.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
So I felt like under cook on arm podcast.
Speaker 2 (47:28):
People, but we all love food. Emerson and I have.
We spent her childhood every summer going on epic trips
around the world going to We used to get the
fifty best Restaurant in the World list for the year,
and we used to try to pick an area and
then go to as many restaurants as we could in
(47:49):
that area. And we have a tradition of huge Christmas
Eve dinner where we do lots of cooking. And I
know you amazing cook Andrea, and love cooking, so we
thought that we would make the Food of Desperate Housewives
a part of our podcast. I made since I just
want to prove to everybody that I can't cook. I
(48:11):
made a gourmet for cheese mac.
Speaker 3 (48:14):
Oh my gosh, Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (48:20):
Okay, wow, I wish you could to begin now, I know,
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I want to know more Andrew, about what you remember
about that scene. And I also, once my mom is
done dishing out her not terrible mac and cheese, but
I want to know about what she remembers about meeting
Jamie also because that was like there first, yeah, and
what a seen.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
I know, I have to come back for this he
had to be called James. We all called him Jamie.
Oh gosh, he remember, Oh yeah, he wanted to be James.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
He thought Jamie was like too.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
I'm so sorry, Well, James, James is honestly super cute. Yes,
But but Andrew, you comment on yours, What do you
remember of that that mom because it's such an iconic
scene where you see everybody together for the first time.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
Yeah, you know, I don't. I really more remember the
scene with Terry and I just crossing the street, you know,
because I really loved that dialogue, that back and forth
between Susan and Julie, you know, where I say, you know,
why would someone kill themselves? I mean, it's such a
like stop in the middle of the street moment. And
(49:29):
I think as a mother, right, like you're always fielding,
or as a parent, I should say, you're fielding these
heavy hitter questions that your kids just kind of throw
at you casually and you have to figure out in
the moment how to respond, and you know, you give
a perfect response in my opinion, it's like it satisfies
the question without saying too much. And you're like, well,
sometimes people appear differently, you know, on the outside than
(49:49):
they are on the inside. And then you know, I
Julie says the thing about like, oh, you mean how
Dad's girlfriend, you know, always acts like she's nice, but
deep down she's a bitch, and you then say, you're like, well,
I don't like that word, but yes, that's a great thing.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Yea.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
All that little back and forth I just loved so much.
And I remember, like, you know, to your point, and
I did want to circle back, just really briefly to
the fact that you mentioned wanting to treat me as
a coworker, wanting to treat me as a fellow actor,
and that meant so much to me. Still means so
much to me, But it was something I felt from
day one with you, was that I did feel like
(50:27):
and I took myself very seriously as a child performer,
and I felt like I had a job to do
and I wanted to be respected, and I wanted to
be professional and all the things, and not everybody treats
children on set that way, and you always did, and
it means so much to me. But I also think
it really it really shaped kind of how we settled
(50:49):
in and the dynamic that Susan and Julie had.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
Yeah, yeah, I love that moment that you're talking about too,
and I know we're going to get to eating this
amazing mac and cheese, But just that question of why
would someone kill themselves, which really is the question that
sets all of our protagonists on the course of trying
to investigate this over the course of the season. And
it was the one moment because Susan is such a
different mom than mom you were to me. But the
(51:15):
way she responds in that moment, with that level of
kind of pause and thoughtfulness and also maturity. You know,
she's not talking down to a kid or trying to
explain something away about why someone might do something as
drastic as taking their own life. It really did remind
me of you. I that was the one moment where
I said, oh, I feel like that is how my
(51:36):
mom would talk to me when I was that age
and answer that question. And then I really saw it
and that's good. Yeah, I mean I guess, yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (51:42):
Yeah, Yes, I raised a good kid.
Speaker 3 (51:45):
Everyone really well rounded. Interesting.
Speaker 1 (51:50):
Okay, I know, like, do we try this?
Speaker 2 (51:53):
Yeah, I know, and it should be hot. It was
hot when we got here, but.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
It's going to be pretty I'm literally in my mouth
as water.
Speaker 4 (52:00):
I don't know if we're allowed to like choose.
Speaker 1 (52:02):
Oh my god, Oh my god, I know right the.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Chewing side are gonna go over really well.
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Okay, honestly, you guys, I watch a SMR like all
the time. Do well, not the chewing one because I
hate that. It's what we're doing right now.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
What ones do you watch.
Speaker 1 (52:19):
Like where they do your makeup. They're like, oh, we're
gonna like tap on your favorite, like put on this
eyeshadow and we're gonna.
Speaker 4 (52:26):
Okay, I really do watch that all the time.
Speaker 1 (52:29):
Not all the time, but like.
Speaker 4 (52:33):
About my daughter.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
Really, it's so relaxing. If I'm like, want to fall asleep.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
Of amount of planes into any cool category, well definitely doesn't.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Well this doesn't.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
But like you have a community, and CMR is like
a community of community. Make sure that my weird like
internet indulgence is part of anything anyone does, which is
that I like to watch people pack. Yeah, so I
think that I like watching like disorganized chaos turn into
organized chaos.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
Is this like on an Instagram reels.
Speaker 3 (53:03):
Like when people test out like luggage or like a
bag and they show you how much stuff they can
fit in it, and I find that to be really calming.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
At what time of day do you watch, oh you
know late night? Yeah times, No, that's what I assumed,
but I didn't want.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
To watch our secret videos.
Speaker 1 (53:19):
Okay, mom, this mac and cheese is so good. Can
you give us just like what is the.
Speaker 3 (53:24):
Talk about the choice of noodle and talk.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
About what's your what's your one secret about making your
mac and cheese that Susan would never know?
Speaker 2 (53:33):
Okay, well, you want your pasta whatever kind of elbowie
shape it is. You want it to be al dente
because you're also gonna bake it in the oven after
you boil it.
Speaker 4 (53:43):
I use it's it's.
Speaker 2 (53:45):
Three cheeses in the sauce, but then parmesan on the top,
so it's really four cheeses. And my my my secret
combo is Manchego white cheddar and grey air. This has
been I don't know, I feel like so collect we
all love the pilot?
Speaker 1 (54:01):
Oh god, ten out of ten?
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Yeah, yeah, I'm out of ten.
Speaker 1 (54:04):
Really.
Speaker 4 (54:05):
I mean that.
Speaker 1 (54:05):
I'm not just saying that because I love the two
of you and we're doing this podcast.
Speaker 4 (54:10):
Oh they're not all going to be ten.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
And you'll call that out that's true, but this is
a big, big hit.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
Yeah, that's really the pot I've ever seen. I think
it is the best pilot of any show I've ever seen.
And I've consumed a lot of television, and I don't
know that I got it. I mean I obviously got
it at the time, right, like I thought, oh gosh,
everyone loves it and that's so great. But watching it now,
after having seen so much more television in my life.
Speaker 1 (54:32):
I.
Speaker 4 (54:34):
Yeah, they say really something about nostalgia. Now.
Speaker 2 (54:37):
I know for you, you haven't seen it before, so maybe
this doesn't apply. But they do say that some of
the reason that people are enjoying going back and watching
things that they're familiar with is because it lands in
our brain in a safer place, like we don't have
the unpredictability of like what's going to happen, so there's
less stress. And so that's why everyone should join us
(55:01):
and start watching Desperate Housewives again and talking with us
about it and sharing it. I think we want people
to write in and got us let us know, Like
if you have questions or thoughts about the show or
about life or anything you think the three of us
could help you with, we would love to be there
for you because we are desperately devoted to you.
Speaker 4 (55:24):
Yes, I can't us see you next week
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