See Also: Brenda Strong People Guide, Felicity Huffman People Guide

She may only get to provide to provide a disembodied voice, and her guest appearances may be sparse, but Brenda Strong (Mary Alice Young) said she is happy with her level of involvement with the show—and said the rest of the cast treat her as part of the family.

"If I was a different person, I could feel bitter and ostracized, but I don't see it that way, she told Daily Express's Saturday magazine. "Before we knew the dynamics on Desperate Housewives, I felt I'd be the odd one out. Then I realized that wasn't happening. In some ways, I get set apart and when I do interviews, it's not as part of the whole group, it's just me. Yet I do feel very included in the cast. All the other girls see me as an integral part, so I don't feel isolated."

Strong said that she feels Mary Alice is pivotal to Desperate Housewives. "Narrating the show makes me feel I'm an integral part of it. Without it the show wouldn't be as special. Mary Alice is the moral compass of the drama and comedy that happens." Fans have called for more scenes between the housewives, and Strong noted that when Mary Alice appears in episodes it provides an opportunity for the cast to appear together. "The irony is that whenever I have a flashback, it's one of the few times that all the women get together. They'll have a scenes with one or the other, but it's rare that the entire group is together unless I'm there. I'm the glue that keeps the neighborhood together."

The magazine also spoke to Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo) who spoke about her husband, her struggle with eating disorders and TransAmerica. She also revealed that her bad behavior as a child was responsible for getting her into acting. "I had to be loud and obnoxious to be heard [when I was young], and since I was loud and obnoxious, my mother wanted to get me away to a camp. So when I was 10, she sent me to an acting camp which was the coolest place in the world. And I was sold!"

She also said that the constant rumors in the press about on-set fights have brought the cast closer together. "It brought us close because that's what adversity does," she said. "We can weather things now—we're not so wide-eyed. I got to know these women last year, as different people coming together on a common project, so in terms of best friends, it takes time to develop. But there's a wonderful ease and friendship coming into the second year, and I can only imagine it growing."

The interviews came as Channel 4 promotes the second season of Desperate Housewives, which begins in the UK on January 18. The second season brings change for Lynette as she head back to the workforce, but Huffman has mixed feelings on the changes for her character. "I miss the big jeans and shirts I had to wear before, and miss not having to do hair and make-up. Suddenly I'm in these tight little suits, so there is pressure! But I certainly don't tire of playing the overwhelmed mother, I experience that feeling every day in real life."

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