AOL TV Talks To Felicity Huffman about the End of "DH"

[JamesG]

Felicity Huffman Says Farewell to "Desperate Housewives"
by Michael Maloney
posted Sep 25th 2011


Sunday nights aren't going to be the same without Lynette, Gaby, Bree and Susan, but fans have one more season of craziness on "Desperate Housewives" (Season 8 premieres Sun., Sept. 25, 9PM ET on ABC).

In last season's cliffhanger, the women of Wisteria Lane had entered another conspiracy together, covering up the murder of Gaby's evil stepfather. But there's an even greater challenge facing the entire cast: How are they going to process the fact that this guilty pleasure will be going off the air at the end of this season?



AOL TV spoke to Felicity Huffman -- who won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy after the show's first season -- regarding her feelings about the show ending and how she'd like to see things end up for Tom and Lynette.

Her answers may surprise you!







What was your reaction to learning the show was ending?

I cried. I was sad. Grateful, but sad. I came home [from the studio] depressed. My daughter said to me, "Don't worry Mom, I'm sure you'll get another job."

Bill [Macy, her husband] hugged me and said, "Great!" Then he saw I was sad and they were both comforting and excited.









How'd you find out?

I think Marc [Cherry, the show's creator] has known for a while. He's a terrible liar, which we've all benefited from in the past. He'd been staying away from the set, which is so funny.

When he called me after I'd found out he said, "I'm so relieved because I couldn't come to the set because I can't keep my mouth shut, but now I can."

I heard from Marcia [Cross], Eva [Longoria] wrote me, the producers came and made an announcement on the set, then it hit like lightning.









What would you like to see happen for Lynette in the finale?

My desires don't really come into play, but I'd like to see Tom and Lynette not get back together again. I think there's something horrible and real about that.

I've heard that 50 percent of first marriages and 80 percent of second marriages fail. They'd have to deal with two houses and things. I love the Scavos -- I know that the community out there loves them together as a working marriage.

I would like to see the dynamic shift in their marriage and for Lynette not be something that rhymes with "snitch."









What would you like to take with you of Lynette's?

What a good question! I'd like to take Gaby's Louboutin [shoes].









Sometimes series end with no notice; what's it like to have time to process the ending?

I think it's going to be lovely to have nine months to appreciate something that's ending because it's human nature -- when you know that something's finite, you appreciate it a little more. I think it's going to be a lovely nine months.









How important is it to you that the original four -- you, Teri Hatcher, Marcia and Eva -- are all there at the end?

I think that's a writer question. There's a chemistry in the show that's undefinable. It works like gangbusters and I couldn't tell you why.

Yes, to make it a satisfying ending you keep the original four in there. But, gosh, Vanessa [Williams, who plays Renee] is so fantastic. She's so good!









Do you think "DH" changed TV?

I'm not versed well enough in TV to say that it changed TV, but in terms of having women being over 40 as viable choices to lead a show has completely changed the landscape of television.

You can't deny that women in their '40s can lead TV shows.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/09/25/feli...-final-season/