Who’s the first to come to your mind when you think of the cast of “Desperate Housewives”? Before you answer, consider only one of them has been nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe (five, actually). If you’re basing your answer on accolades and accomplishments, it’s without a doubt Felicity Huffman. And if you’re looking for more, she’s the wife of one of the greatest character actors ever – William H. Macy. So she knows a thing or two about acting.
Born in New York in 1962, Felicity Huffman studied acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1988. That very same year she met William H. Macy when she was his student at the Atlantic Theater Company. Her first role was as a teenager in a 1978 Afterschool Special, and television has always been a place where Felicity has found substantial work. Her first nomination for a Golden Globe came for her work on “Sports Night,” the short-lived but highly praised Aaron Sorkin show. She would be nominated for another Globe three years in a row for her performance as Lynette Scavo on “Desperate Housewives,” but actually winning in 2006 for the movie “Transamerica,” which also brought her an Oscar nod. The Emmy came in 2005.
In her mid-40s, Felicity has found herself in her prime. The entire “Desperate Housewives” cast seems filled with rejuvenation, and as the show continues, she also manages time for a few movie roles – and raising her two children. While hubby Macy would like more time with her for himself, he’ll have to be content with sharing Felicity with the rest of us – at least for now.
Felicity Huffman on the Screen
David Mamet has utilized Felicity’s acting strengths twice in his movies, the first for “Things Change” and then for “The Spanish Prisoner” in 1997. She is part of the enormous ensemble of “Magnolia” in 1999 (including husband Macy), as well as supporting parts in two Garry Marshall directed films: the Kate Hudson vehicle “Raising Helen,” and the Lindsay Lohan film “Georgia Rule.” “Transamerica” garnered her international attention – and an Oscar nomination. Before her “Desperate Housewives” gig began, Felicity was all over TV, primarily as Dana Whitaker on “Sports Night” and as Julia Wilcox for eight episodes of “Frasier.”
Felicity Says
On aging:
“You’re a little more comfortable in your skin, as saggy as it is. And that’s a gift.”
On finding love:
“I would like to thank the incomparable William H. Macy for taking a chunky 22-year-old with a bad perm and glasses out into a cow pasture and kissing me and making me his wife.”
On the “Desperate Housewives” success:
“This happens once in a gazillion Hollywood years.”
Felicity Huffman in “Desperate Housewives”
