Vanessa Williams breaks her silence on the Desperate Housewives reboot as she makes a pointed remark about them hiring a ‘younger cast’

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Vanessa Williams, who played Renee Perry on the original *Desperate Housewives* for two seasons, has spoken about the planned reboot of the series.

The 62-year-old actress, originally cast in the mystery comedy-drama when she was 47, said she had no idea a revival was being planned.

Vanessa thinks the show, tentatively titled Wisteria Lane after the famous street, will likely feature a younger group of actors.

When the Daily Mail asked Vanessa about the reboot at the Variety Club Awards, she admitted she was just as in the dark as everyone else, saying she’s only learning about it through the news.

She admitted she hadn’t received an invitation to be involved, but believes Kerry Washington is producing the project. That’s the extent of what she knows.

She then added with a pointed remark, ‘They’re probably targeting younger homemakers, just like they did with us twenty years ago!’

Vanessa mentioned that some of the actors in her West End production of The Devil Wears Prada are leaving to work on other projects.

When asked about appearing emotional during their final show, Vanessa explained that she still had rehearsals scheduled for Tuesday. However, she confirmed it *was* a very emotional time for the cast members who were leaving, as they had made the difficult decision to do so months in advance.

Let’s be real, planning anything long-term feels a little uncertain right now – you just never know what the next eight months will bring! But honestly, I’m really optimistic and thrilled for what’s ahead for them. It’s a bit of a leap of faith, but I’m choosing to embrace the excitement!

‘I’ve always dreamed about coming to London and being on stage.’

Vanessa portrayed Renee, a confident and direct woman who relocates to Wisteria Lane following a divorce caused by her husband’s infidelity.

She became friends with the women on the lane because she’s a longtime college friend of Lynette Scavo, who also lives in Fairview.

I’m so excited about the new Wisteria Lane! From what I’ve heard, the storyline is going to be very similar to the original series we all loved. It’s centered around five friends – and sometimes rivals – who are neighbors on the same street. It sounds like it’s going to be full of drama and secrets, just like the first time around!

They may seem to have it all, but many people with seemingly perfect lives are hiding secrets.

Fans reacted negatively to the announcement that “Desperate Housewives” is getting a reboot at Onyx Collective. Kerry Washington is set to be an executive producer on the new series, according to Variety.

The show first aired between 2004 and 2012 and took place in the quiet, suburban community of Wisteria Lane.

The show centered around the lives of four women: Susan Mayer, played by Teri Hatcher, Lynette Scavo played by Felicity Huffman, Bree Van de Kamp played by Marcia Cross, and Gabrielle Solis played by Eva Longoria.

After the reboot was announced, many fans voiced their disappointment online. One fan wrote, ‘Nobody asked for that, the original is perfect,’ while another joked on X, ‘Desperate Housewives 2.0 – now with 100% more desperation!’

People continued to express their disapproval online, with one commenter saying the original actresses – Teri, Eva, Felicity, and Marcia – should remain the focus, and others questioning the need for a new cast or fresh ideas. Many stated they simply want to see the original stars return.

Another person questioned the need for a reboot, stating that bringing in a new team is rarely a good idea, especially if the original team is against it. They strongly advised against it.

Marc Cherry created the original ‘Desperate Housewives,’ but he isn’t involved in the new reboot.

The show ran for eight seasons and nearly 200 episodes on ABC from 2004 to 2012.

The show was nominated for 38 Emmy Awards throughout its run. Felicity won an Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005, and Kathryn Joosten won the award for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series on two separate occasions.

Natalie Chaidez will write and executive produce the upcoming project. Pilar Savone will also executive produce through her company, Simpson Street, and Stacey Sher of Shiny Penny joins as an additional executive producer.

This happened after Eva mentioned a potential show comeback during an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, where she was promoting her series, Searching For Spain.

Eva has previously expressed interest in bringing back *Desperate Housewives*, either with a reboot or a revival, and a fan recently asked her about it.

The fan wrote into WWHL to ask who might be standing in the way of a Desperate Housewives reunion.

The answer may surprise some fans, with Eva revealing it to be none other than series creator Marc.

I was really surprised to hear Eva Longoria say this on the show! She revealed that Marc Cherry, the creator of ‘Desperate Housewives,’ apparently feels like they’ve taken the characters as far as they can go. Andy Cohen was just as shocked as I was – it’s a big statement to make about such beloved characters!

She explained that their show was very different from *Sex and the City*. While *Sex and the City* only had around six to eight episodes each year, they produced twenty-four episodes annually for ten years.

Eva jokingly said she’d ‘dated everyone’ on Wisteria Lane, implying she’d had romantic involvement with all the characters on the show and couldn’t possibly add anyone else to the list.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, comedian Sandra Bernhard questioned Eva Longoria about whether her character, Gabrielle Solis, ever had any same-sex encounters on the show.

Longoria initially denied something, then paused, questioning if she actually had. Bernhard playfully suggested they could build an entire half-season storyline around it.

‘We got to convince Marc Cherry,’ Eva insisted of the show’s creator and executive producer.

When Andy inquired about ongoing income from the show, she simply smiled and said, ‘I’m doing well financially.’

The TV show Desperate Housewives heavily inspired Bravo’s Real Housewives series, which aimed to portray the lives of women facing similar challenges – everyday women in difficult circumstances.

The show proved popular internationally, with versions created for audiences in Argentina (2006–2007), Colombia and Ecuador (2007), Brazil (2007–2008), Turkey (2011–2014), and Nigeria (2015).

The show was so controversial it was banned in North Korea, where reports suggest the government has executed as many as 80 people for watching forbidden South Korean dramas – with *Desperate Housewives* being the most watched of those banned shows.

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2025-10-19 22:04