Felicity Huffman, known for her exceptional talent and stunning performances, recently made a surprise appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. During the episode, she took the audience on a trip down memory lane by reenacting a scene from the iconic show ‘Desperate Housewives,’ in which she played the character Susan Mayer.
Once on stage, Ellen Degeneres couldn’t help but compliment Felicity on her appearance. “You look really great, and that’s a great skirt,” she said. Felicity, modestly acknowledging the compliment, replied, “I’m so proud of myself when I can actually pull it together.” She humorously added that she had some food from her kids and a little bit of marker on her legs, but the audience couldn’t see it.
Ellen then praised Felicity for her impressive performance on ‘Desperate Housewives,’ emphasizing that it wasn’t just the highest-rated new show, but the highest-rated show overall. Clearly grateful for the success, Felicity expressed her gratitude exclaiming, “Thank you, God! It’s fantastic.”
For those who might not be familiar with the show, Felicity offered a brief description. “It’s got elements that a lot of shows have, like drama, comedy, and mystery,” she explained. “It’s heightened reality, it’s tongue-in-cheek, and it has this great dash of wickedness.” Felicity ensured that not only being a part of the show was enjoyable, but also watching it.
Ellen, always curious and engaging, inquired about Felicity’s connection to her character on the show. She asked if Felicity had ever wanted to “throw down” like Susan Mayer does in one episode. Felicity admitted to having a huge temper but emphasized that she kept it in check as much as possible.
Moving onto a different topic, Ellen asked Felicity about the role motherhood plays in her performance. Felicity, who has daughters aged two and a half and four, revealed how the character of Susan Mayer resonated with her own experience of motherhood. She explained that Mark Cherry, the writer of the show, created a character that represented the hardships of being a mother, something she believes doesn’t have enough representation in the media.
Felicity elaborated on the challenges of motherhood, stating, “It’s the hardest job in the world, I mean, a Fortune 500 company would be a cakewalk compared to it.” She described how being a mother pushes one to the edge of their temper and sanity multiple times a day. She humorously added that motherhood is a never-ending journey of learning as children continue to grow and change. “With any other profession,” Felicity noted, “you’d get better at it, but with motherhood, you never have mastery.”
To conclude the interview on a lighthearted note, Ellen and Felicity, inspired by a previous segment with Matthew Fox, decided to entertain the audience with a dramatic reenactment of a scene from ‘Desperate Housewives.’ Both actors, having never read the script before, relied on cue cards for their lines, adding an element of spontaneity. The audience, who played the background actors, thoroughly enjoyed the light-hearted rendition.
Felicity Huffman‘s surprise appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show not only delighted fans of ‘Desperate Housewives,’ but also offered an insight into the challenges and joys of both motherhood and the acting profession. Felicity’s talent shines through in every role she chooses, and her appearance on the talk show was yet another reminder of her exceptional abilities as an actress.
Originally aired on November 18, 2004
