Jesse Metcalfe Sheds Light on 'Desperate Housewives' Feud Fables

Drama Behind the Wisteria Lane Facade: Desperate Housewives Castmates Dish on Feuds and Frenemies

The cat's out of the bag, folks! The juicy secrets behind the scenes of ABC's hit show Desperate Housewives have finally been spilled by none other than Jesse Metcalfe, who played the dashing John Rowland. The 46-year-old heartthrob recently sat down with fans at the Southfork Experience's Dallas Panel: The Ewing Heirs and dished on the rumored "lead female" feuds that plagued the show during its eight-season run.

According to sources close to the matter, the tension between Eva Longoria (Gabrielle Solis), Teri Hatcher (Susan Mayer), Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo), Marcia Cross (Bree Van de Kamp), and Nicollette Sheridan (Edie Britt) was palpable. But Metcalfe insists he was blissfully unaware of the drama, choosing instead to focus on his character's romantic entanglements with Longoria's sultry Gabrielle.

"I was oblivious to it," Metcalfe confessed. "I mean, I was just happy to be on a show that was breaking me out and giving me everything at once."

But not everyone was as clueless about the behind-the-scenes bickering. In a November 2023 interview with Armchair Expert, Longoria opened up about the sexism she believes contributed to the narrative of the actresses being "at war" with each other.

"I remember even back then, it was a narrative about women," Longoria said, referencing the numerous male-led shows on air at the time. "Nobody was like 'They're fighting!' because there were all these shows about men."

Longoria also pointed out that her costars had more experience navigating the cutthroat world of Hollywood and its associated gossip mill.

"They all had such a better handle on fame, on that narrative," she explained. "I'm like, 'You guys, they're saying we're fighting!' And they're like, 'Yeah, well that's just a narrative they do on women because we're over 40 in a television show.'"

Longoria went on to recall the time when Desperate Housewives was spoofed on Saturday Night Live, citing it as evidence of their success and relevance in popular culture.

"I remember hosting SNL and Tina Fey being like, 'Let's spoof you guys fighting,'" Longoria said with a chuckle. "I was like, 'Okay, that'd be funny.' It was a thing because if it made a skit on SNL, then you knew you were in pop culture. You've arrived."

Despite the rumors of cast conflicts, both Metcalfe and Longoria downplayed the drama, attributing it to the grueling work schedule and lack of time for extracurricular activities.

"We were working so hard," Longoria stressed. "Anything that happened outside of the show, we were like 'What?' We never could come up for air to really get outside of ourselves."

Metcalfe echoed this sentiment, adding that he was just trying to enjoy his time on set and soak up the experience.

"I went through an entire pilot season without booking anything," Metcalfe revealed. "And then I tested for Desperate Housewives at the end of that pilot season and landed the role. It was a recast, but it worked out in my favor."

With its juicy secrets and behind-the-scenes drama, it's clear that Desperate Housewives had more going on than just the perfect blend of drama, romance, and suburban intrigue.

Sources:

• People
• Armchair Expert Podcast