Marcia Cross
An actress who mastered the art of playing intense, perfectionist women, most famously as the impeccably poised and secretly turbulent Bree Van de Kamp.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American actress·Birthday: March 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Marcia Cross brought a unique, laser-focused intensity to every role she played, often embodying women whose polished exteriors hid volcanic interiors. After cutting her teeth on daytime soaps, she broke through as the unhinged, wig-removing Dr. Kimberly Shaw on 'Melrose Place,' a performance that redefined the TV villainess. But it was her turn as Bree Van de Kamp on 'Desperate Housewives' that cemented her place in pop culture. Cross took a character that could have been a mere caricature—the obsessive, Martha Stewart-esque homemaker—and infused her with profound vulnerability, dignity, and unexpected wit, earning multiple award nominations. A graduate of Juilliard with a master's in psychology, Cross approaches her craft with intellectual rigor. Off-screen, she has been a private figure, navigating a high-profile marriage and a battle with cancer with the same grace she brought to Bree, emerging as a thoughtful advocate for health awareness.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Marcia was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marcia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Marcia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received three Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for her role as Bree Van de Kamp on 'Desperate Housewives'.
- Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for 'Desperate Housewives'.
- Played the iconic, scheming role of Kimberly Shaw on the hit primetime soap 'Melrose Place' for five seasons.
- Graduated from the Juilliard School's Drama Division, a prestigious training ground for actors.
- Portrayed the first regular lesbian character on a daytime soap opera in the role of Dr. Kate Sanders on 'The Edge of Night'.
Did You Know?
She earned a Master's degree in psychology from Antioch University after her success on 'Desperate Housewives'.
She is a trained classical theatre actress and performed in Shakespeare productions early in her career.
She was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2017 and has since become an advocate for HPV vaccination and cancer awareness.
She is married to stockbroker Tom Mahoney, whom she wed in 2006, and they have twin daughters.
She famously shaved her head on-screen as her character Kimberly Shaw on 'Melrose Place'.
“I think Bree is a great example of someone who is trying to keep it together when everything is falling apart.”
