--- name: "Marcia Cross" canonical: "https://film.one/person/marcia-cross" fi1m_id: "marcia-cross" imdb_id: "nm0189220" tmdb_id: 127171 wikidata_id: "Q189547" roles: ["Actor"] born: "25 March 1962" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-23T11:15:10.545715+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Marcia Cross ## Identity Marcia Cross - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/marcia-cross - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** marcia-cross - **IMDb ID:** nm0189220 - **TMDB ID:** 127171 - **Wikidata ID:** Q189547 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Cross, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189547, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189220/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/127171 Actor. Born 25 March 1962 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 25 March 1962, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Cross, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189547, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189220/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/127171 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*Desperate Housewives*](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md) (78) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Marcia Cross > Marcia Cross makes rigid manners funny by playing them with complete seriousness. We rate her most for Bree Van de Kamp, whose difficult behaviour remains understandable even when the plotting of *Desperate Housewives* becomes harder to defend. Bree Van de Kamp's formality makes an unreasonable reaction seem, to her, perfectly reasonable. In *Desperate Housewives* (2004), Marcia Cross plays that certainty for comedy while keeping Bree's vulnerability visible. We laughed at the seriousness with which she plays Bree's rigid manners. Cross makes us understand how much the rules matter to this woman, even when her response is absurd. It is a carefully controlled performance, with enough anger beneath the politeness to stop the perfectionism becoming simply quaint. Her early work in daytime soaps led into the more volatile demands of Kimberly Shaw in *Melrose Place* (1992). That part drew on her ability to make a soap antagonist intense and unpredictable. Dr Linda Abbott in *Everwood* (2003) was the television role immediately before Bree. The change from Kimberly to Bree shifted the emphasis towards control, though both belong to a pattern of women whose polished appearance conceals trouble. For us, Bree remains the part to start with. Marc Cherry's suburban soap also gives her colleagues who stop that formality from setting the tone of every scene. Felicity Huffman's Lynette Scavo brings a more abrasive impatience, while Teri Hatcher's Susan Mayer and Eva Longoria's Gabrielle Solis supply different kinds of comic energy. Cross's exactness works in that company because Bree need not loosen up for the programme to vary its rhythm. The weakness is the writing's appetite for another scandal. When the plotting grows overexcited, it crowds out the smaller distinctions the actors are making. Later work includes Claire Haas in *Quantico* (2015), though typecasting has limited the opportunities to get beyond Kimberly and Bree. That is a frustrating restriction for an actor who can find vulnerability in someone so determined to behave correctly. We would welcome a part that lets her keep that precision without making perfectionism the subject again. Start with *Desperate Housewives* for the comedy, allowing for some frantic plotting. ## Biography Marcia Cross is an American actress. She was born on 25 March 1962 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and trained at the Juilliard School, graduating with a BFA in acting in 1984. Cross began her career in the 1980s with roles in daytime soap operas including *The Edge of Night* (1984) and *One Life to Live* (1986–1988). She later appeared in primetime series such as *Knots Landing* (1991–1992) and as Kimberly Shaw in *Melrose Place* (1992–1997). She is best known for portraying Bree Van de Kamp in the series *Desperate Housewives* (2004–2012). Cross has also had recurring roles in *Everwood* (2003–2004) and *Quantico* (2015–2017), and guest appearances in series including *Seinfeld*, *Cheers* and *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Desperate Housewives* (2004), Fi1m 78, as Bree Van de Kamp — [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md) ## Complete filmography (57) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Monarch* (2022), series, as Skyler Samms - *The Secret of Karma* (2020), as The Boss - *Soundtrack* (2019), series, as Gigi's Mom - *You* (2018), series, as Jean Peck — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/you.md) - *This Close* (2018), series, as Blythe - *All the Way to the Ocean* (2016), as Narrator (voice) - *Quantico* (2015), series, as Claire Haas - *Bringing Up Bobby* (2011), as Mary - *Just Peck* (2011), as Cheryl Peck - *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, as Bree Van de Kamp — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md) - *Everwood* (2002), series, as Linda Abbott - *Dancing in September* (2001), as Lydia Gleason - *Living in Fear* (2000), as Rebecca Hausman - *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Julia Fairmont - *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, as Linda Loren - *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Charmaine Briggs - *The King of Queens* (1998), series, as Debi Haller - *Target Earth* (1998), as Karen Mackaphe - *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, as Myra Robbins - *Always Say Goodbye* (1997), as Anne Kidwell - *Female Perversions* (1996), as Eve's Mother - *Profiler* (1996), series, as Pamela Martin - *Spin City* (1996), series, as Joan Calvin - *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor - *All She Ever Wanted* (1996), as Rachel Scottman - *Ned & Stacey* (1995), series, as Diana Huntley - *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Katherine Woods - *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Lauren Bradley - *M.A.N.T.I.S.* (1994), as Lila McEwan - *Burke's Law* (1994), series, as Leslie Dolan - *Boy Meets World* (1993), series, as Rhiannon Lawrence - *Stephen King's Golden Tales* (1993), as Marie Alcott - *Melrose Place* (1992), series, as Kimberly Shaw - *Raven* (1992), series, as Carla Dellatory - *Pros and Cons* (1991), series, as Lynn - *Herman's Head* (1991), series, as Princess Gillian - *Storm and Sorrow* (1990), as Marty Hoy - *Bad Influence* (1990), as Ruth Fielding - *Booker* (1989), series, as Sherrie Binford - *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Dr. Sara Sitarides — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md) - *Doctor Doctor* (1989), series, Actor - *Quantum Leap* (1989), series, as Stephanie Heywood - *Almost Grown* (1988), series, as Lesley Foley - *Jake and the Fatman* (1987), series, Actor - *George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation* (1986), series, as Anne Bingham - *George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation* (1986), as Anne Bingham - *The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James* (1986), as Sarah Hite - *Brass* (1985), as Victoria Willis - *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Marci Bowman - *Tales from the Darkside* (1984), series, as Marie Alcott - *Who's the Boss?* (1984), series, Actor - *Cheers* (1982), series, as Susan Howe — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md) - *Knots Landing* (1979), series, as Victoria Broyard - *One Life to Live* (1968), series, Actor - *Another World* (1964), series, as Tanya - *The Edge of Night* (1956), series, as Liz Correll - *Exit Right*, as Monica Freeman ## Gallery - ![Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria.](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-d363d00d72dc.jpg) Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria. — Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_078_Marcia_Cross.jpg/1280px-Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_078_Marcia_Cross.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria.](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-ab4bc62ed20f.jpg) Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria. — Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_079_Marcia_Cross.jpg/1280px-Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_079_Marcia_Cross.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria.](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-7ea10e5aa96e.jpg) Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria. — Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_079_Marcia_Cross_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Marcia Cross](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-f385ce3e0890.jpg) Marcia Cross — Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_080_Marcia_Cross.jpg/1280px-Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_080_Marcia_Cross.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Marcia Cross](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-628c10ca0b43.jpg) Marcia Cross — Image via TMDB - ![Marcia Cross](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-c8ac701c1001.jpg) Marcia Cross — Image via TMDB - ![Marcia Cross](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-7f643dc50f9d.jpg) Marcia Cross — Image via TMDB - ![Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria.](https://film.one/media/person/1301651/gallery-318af84a5b1c.jpg) Life Ball 2014: Marcia Cross on the red carpet on the square in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall) of Vienna, Austria. — Manfred Werner - Tsui, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Life_Ball_2014_red_carpet_080_Marcia_Cross_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/marcia-cross