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Dana Delany talks to Jenny Eden about snubbing Sex and the City and playing the JR Ewing of Desperate Housewives.
JE: The plot of Desperate Housewives zooms five years into the future this week, but is it true you turned down the role of Bree when the series started?
DD: I'd just gotten off a series called Pasadena and it was similar territory, so I thought I'd be repeating myself. Then of course it became a huge hit. I also turned down Sex and the City. [Creator] Darren Starr is an old friend of mine and he talked to me about doing the Sarah Jessica Parker role, but I'd just done a film with a lot of sex in that people reacted badly to. I thought, "I can't talk about sex one more time."
You must have bruised ankles from kicking yourself.
I'm known for turning things down. I have moments when I think, "Oh my God, what have I done?" but I try to have faith that things work out the way they're supposed to. And they would have been different shows if I'd been in them. I can't imagine anyone but Marcia Cross playing Bree now, and I wouldn't have been the fashion icon that Sarah Jessica Parker is.
Five years on and your character Katherine Mayfair is still there…
Yes, she and Bree are still frenemies [friends and enemies]. But Eva [Longoria Parker, who plays Gaby] had the best time because they had to make her look like a mum who had let herself go. They tried all sorts of things and eventually she wore sweat pants and Uggs and no make-up and she thought it was the funniest thing.
Katherine is the biggest bitch on the show so far, isn't she?
I was a little taken aback by how mean she was, but Marc Cherry, the show's creator, told me he saw me as a JR Ewing character. But there are also a lot of movie references. He'll say, "Like Mrs Danvers in Rebecca" or "a little more Joan Crawford". At first, viewers would come up to me and say, "I hate you" but it's fun playing evil.
Have you come across women like Katherine?
There are a lot of women like her in Connecticut, where I was raised. It's really important to them to keep it together because if you fall apart, you're going to fall apart big. If you lock horns with them, they'll meet you. But if you're nice to them, it destroys them.
Did you worry about joining such a high-profile cast?
The costume designer said to me, "Don't get the Desperate Housewives disease" and I didn't know what that was. She said everyone loses so much weight when they come on the show. I think there's an unspoken competitive weight loss thing, which I failed at completely. I'm the only one who gained weight; my costumes were too tight at the end of the season.
Did you feel pressure to get extra glamorous?
I've never been on a set like it; the make-up and hair trailer is the biggest I've ever seen. I'm 52 on a show that makes women look fabulous; there's no downside for me.
So no surgery or extreme makeovers for you?
No, I do yoga and I like to drink wine. When I'm not at work I wear glasses and no make-up.
Did you know any of the Housewives before you joined?
I knew almost all the cast. I've known Teri Hatcher for years and I have to say she's always been a skinny girl. And Marcia and I have the same group of friends. We have games nights at Marc Cherry's house when we all play charades.
A group of actors playing charades must get competitive.
Felicity Huffman [Lynette] and her real-life husband [actor William H Macy] are amazing together; it's like they can read each other's minds. You cannot win against them.
One final question: which Housewife are you most like?
I'm so not a housewife. I don't cook - all you'll find in my refrigerator is yogurt and wine. I'm not married. I don't have kids. I don't have pets. I don't even have plants. I really love to travel so I keep my life so I can just go. Ironically, I've spent all my life trying not to be a desperate housewife!
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Now take a look at our full Desperate Housewives guide.
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