Marcia Cross's Biography:

Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Dr. Kimberly Shaw on the hit soap opera Melrose Place, and in recent years has come to be known for her lead role as Bree Van De Kamp Hodge on the hit TV show Desperate Housewives.

Marcia started her television career in the 1980s TV hit The Edge of Night, in 1984. She graduated from the Juilliard School in New York, and earned master's degree in psychology at LA's Antioch University.

Prior to her role on Desperate Housewives, Marcia starred as Dr. Linda Abbott on WB's critically-acclaimed series, Everwood. She is also well known for her portrayal of the mentally unbalanced Dr. Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place, whom she played from 1992 to 1997. Kimberly was, and remains, a firm fan favorite - providing many of the show's most memorable moments, in her plans to kill many of the characters on the show. One Melrose website's poll on most popular characters on the show listed Cross's Kimberly Shaw as THE fan favorite but the series' producers were curiously slow in promoting Cross to full-fledged cast member status in the opening credits, an honor she did not receive until her fourth season in the role despite having had as much screen time as any series regular. However, the rumor is that Marcia herself hesitated to join the cast as she did not want to be tied down to a long term contract.

On stage, Marcia performed in La Ronde at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, in Twelfth Night, or What You Will at the Hartford Stage Company, and in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Old Globe in San Diego.

Her first television job was on the daytime drama The Edge of Night. Leaving New York to try her luck in Los Angeles, Marcia was soon landing roles in television movies such as The Last Days of Frank and Jessie James, co-starring with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Later, in 1986, she went on to portray Kate Sanders on the ABC daytime drama, One Life to Live. She played the role until 1987.

In 1991, Marcia guest-starred on the 13th season of Knots Landing as the mysterious wife of Pierce Lawton (Bruce Greenwood). Ironically, she spent most of her screen-time on the show confronting Paige Matheson, played by Desperate Housewives co-star Nicollette Sheridan.

Her most notable soap role on Melrose Place began when she was hired for one episode. The producers were so impressed, they kept asking her back for additional appearances, eventually bringing her character back from the dead to continue on the hit show.

Marcia also guest-starred on such series as Seinfeld, where she played Jerry's dermatologist girlfriend (or as Jerry preferred, "Dr. Sitarides: Pimple Popper M.D."), and Cheers, where she portrayed Susan Howe, the younger sister to Kirstie Alley's character, Rebecca Howe.

She has also appeared on the comedies Boy Meets World, Ally McBeal, Spin City, It's Garry Shandling's Show and King of Queens. Her dramatic roles include appearances on CSI, Profiler, Everwood and Touched by an Angel.

Marcia's film credits include Living in Fear, Always Say Good-bye, Dancing in September, Bad Influence, and Female Perversions in 1996.

In November 2005, Marcia appeared on the cover of the newly launched Psychologies magazine in the United Kingdom. In the interview she discusses her passion for psychology and therapy.

Marcia Cross was the long time companion of Richard Jordan. Jordan died from a brain tumor on August 30, 1993.

In early 2005, the Internet and tabloids swirled with rumors that Marcia was gay and in a long-term relationship with another woman, and planning to come out of the closet.

Marcia actually appeared on the television show The View to deny the reports, but stated that she was very supportive of the gay community.

In August 2005, Marcia Cross's publicist also told the American celebrity newsmagazine Us Weekly that Marcia had accepted the proposal of Tom Mahoney (b. 1958), a stock broker whom she had been dating for six months, and that the couple were engaged to be married.

The couple got married on June 24, 2006, in front of 200 guests at the Church of Our Savior Episcopal Parish in San Gabriel, California. "It was a beautiful ceremony," a representative for Cross told People. "They're very happy."

On September 6, 2006, she announced that she was pregnant and due in April 2007 and on September 20 she revealed that she was expecting twins.

On January 11, 2007, Marcia was placed on precautionary bedrest until their delivery, requiring her to suspend her Desperate Housewives acting duties. However, Marcia did not want to give up working, even bringing the entire cast and crew to her home to shoot some scenes in her very own bedroom. Marcia Cross's bedroom was painted to look like Bree's.

On February 20, 2007, Marcia gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Eden and Savannah at a Los Angeles hospital, shortly before Marcia Cross' 45th birthday.

In an exclusive People interview, she revealed that she underwent in vitro fertilization soon after her wedding. Both children were baptized at the Trinity Episcopal Church. Marcia's sister is singer songwriter, Ellen Cross

In September 2008, Marcia stated in an interview that she was "in heaven right now" looking after her newborn twins, but also stated that she has a desire to adopt a child in the near future.

For more information refer to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Cross