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Marcia Cross

 
Actor: Marcia Cross
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Mar 25, 1962 in Marlborough, Massachusetts
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Desperate Housewives: Season 03, A Little Romance, Dancing in September
  • First Major Screen Credit: All She Ever Wanted (1996)

Biography

An actress whose face seems to capture everything glamorous about old Hollywood and whose fire-red mane sets the screen ablaze, Marcia Cross has carved out an impressive television career thanks to winning roles on such shows as Melrose Place and Desperate Housewives. With a resumé that reads like a "television's greatest hits" list from the mid-'80s through the new millennium, small-screen veteran Cross is hardly a new face to devoted TV viewers, and thanks to her role as über-perfectionist suburban homemaker Bree Van De Kamp on ABC's surprise hit Desperate Housewives, chances are she'll be sticking around for some time.

A native of Marlborough, MA, who first discovered her love for acting while taking the stage for a sixth-grade production of The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Cross was soon setting her sites on New York's world-renowned Juilliard Drama School, where she would major in drama. In the years following her graduation, Cross made a name for herself in and around the New York stage, with performances in the Williamstown Theater Festival's production of La Ronde and the Hartford Stage Company's production of Twelfth Night serving as early career highlights. A bit part on the long-running soap opera The Edge of Night helped to ignite a screen career for Cross, with subsequent appearances on Cheers, Who's the Boss?, Quantum Leap, and Murder, She Wrote both increasing her visibility and expanding her oeuvre. By the 1990s, Cross had gained notable exposure thanks to parts on both One Life to Live and Another World, and though a brief appearance on Knots Landing brought the daytime drama to the evening hours, it was her role as Dr. Kimberly Shaw on 1992's Melrose Place that truly put her on the map with television viewers. A direct descendent of Beverly Hills 90210 that lit the small-screen ablaze for much of the 1990s, Melrose Place occupied most of Cross' time, save for the occasional television guest appearance or feature role. Though she had only been slated to appear in one episode of Melrose Place, Cross' character proved so popular that producers went to great lengths to keep her on board, eventually going so far as to reach beyond the grave to keep the character alive.

If it seemed like Cross' career was floundering somewhat in the wake of her Melrose Place success, a role in the WB's 2002 drama Everwood served well to bring her back into the collective conscience of television viewers. Though she would only remain with the series for one season, her furlough from the small screen proved to be short-lived when Cross returned stronger than ever in 2004 in the hugely popular dark comedy drama Desperate Housewives. Cast as a Martha Stewart-worshipping suburbanite whose obsession with perfection is slowly tearing her family apart at the seams, Cross used her keen skills in front of the camera to hold her own in an ensemble cast that included the likes of Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, and Nicollette Sheridan. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Marcia Cross
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Marcia Cross

Cross in April 2008
Born Marcia Anne Cross
March 25, 1962 (1962-03-25) (age 47)
Marlborough, Massachusetts‹See Tfd›, U.S.
Years active 1984–present
Spouse(s) Tom Mahoney. (2006–present)

Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an American actress best known for her television roles as Bree Hodge on Desperate Housewives and Dr. Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place.

Contents

Career

Cross graduated from the Juilliard School in New York, and earned a master's degree in psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles. She began her television career in 1984 on the soap opera The Edge of Night. She then moved from New York to Los Angeles, and soon landed roles in television movies such as The Last Days of Frank and Jessie James, co-starring with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. In 1986 she joined the cast of the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live, where she played Kate Sanders, until 1987.

In 1991, Cross guest-starred on the 13th season of Knots Landing as the wife of Pierce Lawton (Bruce Greenwood). She spent a lot of her screen-time on the show confronting Paige Matheson, played by her future Desperate Housewives co-star Nicollette Sheridan.

In 1992, Cross was cast as Dr. Kimberly Shaw on the FOX drama series Melrose Place. Initially cast for one season, she so impressed the producers that they kept bringing her back for more episodes, although she didn't become a full-fledged cast member in the opening credits until the fourth season. Cross' character started off as a love interest for the character of Dr. Michael Mancini, but gradually became more and more mentally unbalanced, providing some of the show's most memorable moments, which included blowing up the apartment building, trying to kill Michael, and stealing her neighbor Jo's baby. She left the show in 1997, after five seasons, with her character dying.

After leaving Melrose Place, Cross guest-starred on series such as Seinfeld, where she played Jerry's dermatologist girlfriend Dr. Sitarides (whom he mocked as "Pimple Popper M.D."), and Cheers, where she portrayed Susan Howe, the younger sister to Kirstie Alley's character, Rebecca Howe. She also appeared on the comedies Boy Meets World, Ally McBeal, Spin City, It's Garry Shandling's Show and King of Queens. Her dramatic roles include appearances on CSI, Profiler, Everwood and Touched by an Angel.

In 2003, prior to her role on Desperate Housewives, Cross spent a season starring as Linda Abbott on WB's critically-acclaimed series, Everwood.

In 2004, Cross landed the role of Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC dramedy series Desperate Housewives.

On stage, Cross has performed in La Ronde at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, in Twelfth Night, or What You Will at the Hartford Stage Company, and in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Old Globe in San Diego. Her film credits include Living in Fear, Always Say Good-bye, Dancing in September, Bad Influence, and Female Perversions.

In November 2005, Cross appeared on the cover of the newly launched Psychologies magazine in the United Kingdom where she discussed her passion for psychology and therapy.

Personal life

Cross was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the daughter of Janet, a teacher, and Mark Cross, a personnel manager.[1] She was the long time companion of Richard Jordan. Jordan died from a brain tumor in 1993.[2]

In early 2005, the Internet and tabloids swirled with rumors that Cross was gay and in a long-term relationship with another woman, and planning to come out of the closet. Cross actually appeared on the television show The View to deny the reports, but stated that she was very supportive of the gay community.[3]

In August 2005, Cross' publicist also told the American celebrity newsmagazine Us Weekly that Cross had accepted the proposal of Tom Mahoney (b. 1958), a stock broker whom she had been dating for six months, and that the couple were engaged to be married. The couple got married on June 24, 2006, in front of 200 guests at the Church of Our Savior Episcopal Parish in San Gabriel, California. "It was a beautiful ceremony," a representative for Cross told People. "They're very happy."[4]

On September 6, 2006, she announced that she was pregnant and due in April 2007[5] and on September 20 she revealed that she was expecting twins. On January 11, 2007, Cross was placed on precautionary bedrest until their delivery, requiring her to suspend her Desperate Housewives acting duties. However, Cross did not want to give up working, even bringing the entire cast and crew to her home to shoot some scenes in her very own bedroom. Cross's bedroom was painted to look like Bree's.

On February 20, 2007, Cross gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Eden and Savannah at a Los Angeles hospital, shortly before Cross' 45th birthday.[6] In an exclusive People interview, she revealed that she underwent in vitro fertilization soon after her wedding.[7] Both children were baptized at the Trinity Episcopal Church.

Cross's sister is singer songwriter, Ellen Cross.[8]

In September 2008, Cross stated in an interview that she was "in heaven right now" looking after her newborn twins, but also stated that she has a desire to adopt a child in the near future.[9]

In December 2008, it was announced that Cross will become the face of Mott's apple sauce.[10] These commercials began airing in March 2009.

On January 20, 2009 Cross' rep announced her husband had been diagnosed with cancer.[11]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Desperate Housewives

  • 2005 Primetime Emmy Award (Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series)
  • 2007 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series - Comedy or Musical)
  • 2006 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series - Comedy or Musical)
  • 2005 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series - Comedy or Musical)
  • 2007 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy series)
  • 2006 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series) WON
  • 2005 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series) WON
  • 2005 Television Critics Association Award (Individual Achievement in Comedy)
  • 2005 Satellite Award (Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy)
  • 2006 Satellite Award (Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy) WON
  • 2007 Prism Award (Performance in a Comedy Series)
  • 2005 Prism Award (Performance in a Comedy Series)

Additional achievements

  • 2007 - Placed 100 on TV Guide & Entertainment Weekly's "100 Greatest TV Icons" list.
  • 2006 - Placed 91 on People Magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People In The World" list.
  • 2005 - Placed 20 on the E Channel's "50 Most Wicked Women of Primetime" list for her character on Melrose Place, Dr. Kimberly Shaw
  • 2005 - Placed 28 on VH1's "Hottest 40 People Over 40" list.
  • 2005 - Named Most Beautiful Person at 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

References

  1. ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/30/Marcia-Cross.html
  2. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article383944.ece
  3. ^ Vary, Adam B. (March 15, 2005). "Marcia Cross: Desperate rumors". The Advocate. http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid00713.asp. Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
  4. ^ Wihlborg, Ulrica."Marcia Cross Gets Married." People. June 24, 2006.
  5. ^ "Wife & Mother", Daily Record, September 8, 2006.
  6. ^ Gee, Alison. "Marcia Cross Welcomes Twin Girls" People. February 21, 2007.
  7. ^ COVER STORY: Marcia Cross Talks About Motherhood - Marcia Cross : People.com
  8. ^ Us Exclusive: Desperate Housewives' Marcia Cross Gets Married
  9. ^ Marcia: I Want To Adpot, MSN TV News, 22/09/2008
  10. ^ http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/76100/Cross-twins-land-mum-a-saucy-role
  11. ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20253628,00.html

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