Marcia Cross

Marcia Cross Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: March 25, 1962

Age: 62 years old

Birth Place: Marlborough, Massachusetts

Partners: Richard Jordan

Marcia Cross is one of those classically-trained actors who then find themselves playing delicious, yet hardly Shakespearean, characters on daytime and primetime soap operas, while pursuing more substantial roles on stage. The attractive redhead found herself alternating between repertory work and TV Sturm und Drang almost from the outset of her career. After graduating from Juilliard in the early 1980s, she made her debut on ABC's soap "The Edge of Night" before segueing to the same network's "One Life to Live." She also starred in various stage productions, including work at the prestigious Williamstown Theater Festival. In 1988, Cross moved to Los Angeles where she found work in episodic TV, including memorable turns as Rebecca's sultry sister on "Cheers" and as Garry's girlfriend on "It's Garry Shandling's Show." Her debut in the 1990 feature film "Bad Influence," in which she played James Spader's fiance, was well received. Cross made her primetime series debut on the CBS sudser "Knots Landing" (1991-92) as the obsessive former girlfriend of Pierce Lawton (Bruce Greenwood).

Aaron Spelling had cast Cross in the unsold pilot "Temporarily Yours" in 1989 and remembered her when an actress was needed in 1992 to play Dr. Kimberly Shaw on "Melrose Place," Fox's young adult twist on "Beverly Hills, 90210." While simultaneously appearing in "Twelfth Night" in San Diego, Cross began her five season tenure as Kimberly, a doctor whose woes were not related to malpractice. She went from respected doctor to jilted lover to kidnapper to mad bomber to terminal patient. She departed the series and earned Master's Degree in psychology at LA's Antioch University. In 1999 Cross took a recurring role on the ABC sitcom "Boy Meets World" and enjoyed two guest spots on "King of Queens" in 2002 and 2003, while in between she appeared in episodes of hit series including "Ally McBeal," "Spin City," "Touched By an Angel," "Profiler" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." She also appeared in a string of low-profile films and telepics before returning to series televison on The WB's family drama "Everwood," playing Emily VanCamp's physician mother during 2003-2004 season. But the following year Cross was cast in what would likely be her most memorable role, "Desperate Housewives'" (ABC, 2004-12) very proper, Martha Stewart-esque Wisteria Lane homemaker/control freak Bree Van De Camp, whose picture perfect world hides extremely dysfunctional familial relationships. The mega-popular show breathed new life into Cross' career, and she earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2005 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy. The extra attention also put Cross' personal life in the media glare: in 2005 rumors abounded that the single actress was about to come out as a lesbian with a cover story in The Advocate. As the controversy fanned into a firestorm, the actress did indeed appear in the magazine, but only after proclaiming her heterosexuality to journalists including Babara Walters, noting "I just assume this is what results from being 42 and single."

Credits

CBS Mornings

Guest
News
2021

Celebrity Wheel of FortuneStream

Guest
Game Show
2021

The Secret of Karma

Actor
Goddess
Show
2020

The Secret of Karma

Actor
Goddess
Movie
2020

25 Words or LessStream

Contestant
Game Show
2018

Quatsch Comedy Club

Actor
Bree Van De Kamp
Show
2017

Wrestling: WWE Raw

Actor
Bree Van De Kamp
Show
2017

Stand Up to Cancer

Guest
Show
2016

QuanticoStream

Guest Star
Claire Haas
Series
2015
70%

LIVE with Kelly

Guest
Talk
2011

Bringing Up Bobby

Actor
Mary
Movie
2011

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
Show
2010

The Nate Berkus Show

Guest
Talk
2010

Bringing Up Bobby

Actor
Mary
Show
2010

Just Peck

Actor
Cheryl Peck
Movie
2009

The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards

Guest
Show
2008

The Bonnie Hunt Show

Guest
Talk
2008

The Better Show

Guest
Show
2007

The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet

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Show
2007

Rachael Ray ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2006

The Martha Stewart Show

Guest
Reality
2005

Desperate Housewives: Sorting Out the Dirty Laundry

Actor
Show
2005

Serial Bowl

Actor
Show
2005

Desperate HousewivesStream

Actor
Bree Hodge
Series
2004
72%

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Guest
Talk
2003

EverwoodStream

Actor
Series
2002
93%

Live With Regis and Kelly

Guest
Show
2001

Living in FearStream

Actor
Rebecca Hausman
Movie
2001

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

Guest Star
Julia Fairmont
Series
2000

Dancing in September

Actor
Lydia Gleason
Movie
2000

Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

Guest Star
Charmaine Briggs
Series
1999
78%

The King of QueensStream

Guest Star
Series
1998

Target Earth

Actor
Karen Mackaphe
Movie
1998

Ally McBeal

Guest Star
Series
1997
61%

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Always Say Goodbye

Actor
Anne Kidwell
Movie
1997

Profiler

Guest Star
Series
1996

Spin CityStream

Guest Star
Series
1996
69%

Access Hollywood

Guest
News
1996

All She Ever Wanted

Actor
Rachel Stockman
Movie
1996

The Outer LimitsStream

Actor
Katherine Woods
Series
1995

Touched by an AngelStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

Extra

Guest
News
1994

Burke's Law

Guest Star
Leslie Dolan
Show
1994

Boy Meets WorldStream

Guest Star
Rhiannon Lawrence
Series
1993

Late Show With David Letterman

Guest
Talk
1993

Melrose PlaceStream

Actor
Dr. Kimberly Shaw Mancini
Series
1992

Bad InfluenceStream

Actor
Ruth Fielding
Movie
1990
65%

Storm and Sorrow

Actor
Marty Hoy
Movie
1990

SeinfeldStream

Guest Star
Dr. Sara Sitarides
Series
1989
89%

Doctor Doctor

Guest Star
Series
1989

Quantum LeapStream

Guest Star
Stephanie Heywood
Series
1989

Jake and the Fatman

Guest Star
Series
1987

George Washington: The Forging of a Nation

Actor
Anne Bingham
Movie
1986

The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James

Actor
Sarah Hite
Movie
1986

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Marci Bowman
Series
1984

Who's the Boss?Stream

Guest Star
Series
1984

CheersStream

Guest Star
Susan Howe
Series
1982
87%

Knots Landing

Guest Star
Series
1979

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutMarcia Cross