Terri Hatcher

“Desperate Housewives” hit the airwaves at an interesting time. Arriving in the middle of the two Bush administrations, the show’s themes and its stars off-air behavior would court considerable controversy amidst the cultural dominance of Christian conservatives. The show is set in an ominously spic and span suburban neighborhood reminiscent of that envisioned for The Stepford Wives. While the wives in that film were androids, the women populating “Desperate Housewives” are all flesh and blood—and the show features plenty of both.

While the show boasts a stellar cast, with terrific actors like Felicity Huffman, it was Teri Hatcher’s presence in the series that lent it much-needed star power at its inception. Long time Hatcher fans know the eyes have it—her peepers carry seductive power and intelligence that can always draw the attention away from her other … assets. Far from a typical starlet, Teri Hatcher is recognized within the industry—and increasingly among her audience—as an intelligent woman with a broad acting range.

Terri Hatcher’s gift of pairing on-screen sensuality with a strong commitment to character and complicated acting choices has made her a hot commodity. Enduring a certain amount of the usual Hollywood hazing, Hatcher got the chance to step into a meatier role opposite Dean Cain in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” This showed off her brains while hooking the Joe six-pack crowd with plenty of sexy outfits. Her success in this show came on the heels of an amazingly diverse series of TV and film appearances, ranging from “Quantum Leap” to “Murphy Brown” and Soapdish to Two Days in the Valley.

Her hard work has paid off, with the Desperate Housewives series drawing lots of attention from critics and audiences. Born in 1964, Teri Hatcher shows no signs of slowing down, and having endured a rough patch both personally and professionally, seems eager to build on her recent successes.