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One last dish with the 'Desperate Housewives' By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it the secrets, affairs and lies one admits only to closest friends. Through marriages, divorces, births, deaths — accidental and intentional — illnesses, triumphs, chil- dren and crimes, one bond remains indestructible: the women's friendship. ABC's "Desperate Behind the wisteria lurk Housewives" comes to what will undoubtedly be an over-the-top two-hour fi- nale Sunday, May 13. Even as the actresses head into their final weeks after eight seasons, they don't know what will happen, but they respect creator Marc Cher- ry's cloak of secrecy. Three of the four original house- wives — Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria (Teri Hatcher declined to participate) — and Vanessa Williams, who joined two years ago, reflect on the show in long, separate interviews with Zap2it. Huffman as Lynette: other night I was talking to Bill (husband William H. Macy) and trying to work on something and said, 'Maybe I can practice do- ing this better.' It is such a luxury to get eight years of acting." Little-known tidbit: "I the craziness in the press, in my eight years with Marc, he is never anything but pleasant. That is some- thing that he lives by." Little-known tidbit: wanted to play all of the parts," she recalls of read- ing the pilot. "I wanted to play Gabrielle Solis! I want to be a Latina supermodel. That's the good thing about good writing. Who wouldn't want to play that part?" Best "Desperate House- wives" quote: "I can't tell you what a total pleasure and honor it has been to work with Doug Savant for eight years. Eva gets to work with Ricardo (Cha- vira, as Carlos Solis), Teri got to work with Jamie (Denton, as Mike Delfino), and Marcia got to work with most of the men this side of the Mississippi." Cross as Bree: With She's the housewife most women relate to. She loves her husband and kids, but they drive her crazy. She's had jobs, but taking care of her family trumped career. Lynette vanquished cancer, and this season saw her separate from Tom (Doug Savant) after 20 years. Reflections on "Desper- ate Housewives": "I have enjoyed every minute of it," Huffman says. "Just the Though Cherry initially wanted Dana Delany as Bree, she turned down the role. "I knew her vaguely socially, and she came to work on the show," Cross says. "At first I was terri- fied (thinking), 'She should have been Bree!' Not only did that go away, actors are different. Additionally, I absolutely fell in love with Dana, and she is one of my favorite people ever." Best "Desperate House- wives" quote: "I hope if nothing else it advances the age of the working actress," Cross says of the show's legacy. Longoria as Gaby: her manicured gardens, twin sets and pearls, Bree seems unflappable. She made and lost a huge busi- ness based on her recipes and has gone through a couple of husbands, and this season alone, many men. Reflections on "Desper- ate Housewives": "Some of her is based on his mother," Cross says of Cherry's mom. "At some point a penny dropped — it is not just his mother — it is him! And what I mean about that, in spite of all of Though a shallow narcis- sist, Gaby is self-aware and a great friend. After her early dalliance with a younger gardener (Jesse Metcalfe), she has stayed true to Carlos. Reflections on "Des- world said a lot about the movement and progress women have made in tele- vision." Little-known tidbit: "Fe- licity and I both sew in our trailers," Longoria says, "and I will miss that." Best "Desperate House- wives" quote: "I am trying to steal my Andy Warhol pictures of Gaby on the wall," Longoria says. Williams as Renee: She has the moxie to take a gun out of Bree's hand and talk about being beau- tiful with Gaby. Renee, rich from her divorce, used her money to help her beau, Ben (Charles Mesure). Reflections on "Desper- ate Housewives": "One of the greatest compliments has been most fans think I should have been there from the beginning, and just consider me one of the cast," Williams says. Little-known tidbit: "I Catch the Craze & Save! Save on Rentals • Breakfast Get Free Glass Cleaner Save on a Quilt perate Housewives": "It broke the mold for a lot of things," Longoria says. "For dramedies, we were never a comedy, never a drama. We always rode the hyphen. Marcia, Felic- ity and Teri were over 40 and leads of the show, and for four female leads to be on the No. 1 show in the have gone to Felicity Huffman's game night, and she plays a mean running charades. Marcia sing- ing Rihanna's 'What's My Name?' in her gardening gloves and twin set. Eva is always dragging you to some crazy thing. Once she filmed us dancing to 'I Like Big Butts' — me, her and Felicity. Teri invited me to two of her Hallow- een parties. She just had a 'Chopped' thing at her house" Find these great savings plus more on Coupon Craze! In The Goshen News every Monday, Online everyday! Nobody covers your hometown better 114 S. Main St., Goshen 574-533-2151 www.goshennews.com Employment Ad Today! Place Your Over 3,500 resumes are posted on monster.com in The Goshen News readership areas. 574-533-2151 ext. 398 goshennews.com / 574.522.4475 www.GurleyLeepHonda.com Marcia Cross stars in "Desperate Housewives," which ends its eight-season run Sunday on ABC. 2 The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • May 12, 2012-May 18, 2012 Nobody Knows Our Hometown Better!

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