New Desperate Housewives castmember Alfre Woodard spoke recently about the difficulty in getting into acting, paying tribute to her parents and teachers for her determination.

Savannah Morning News reported that in a speech at the First African Baptist Church, Woodard spoke about Hollywood and how she "couldn't even get in the back door" and "couldn't even get near the window". But she told attendees that she drew strength from the fact her parents repeatedly told her that she was beautiful and not to say "I can't" and that her teachers were also supportive. "When people expect things of you, you deliver," said Woodard.

The actress revealed to The Mirror some of the difficulties she faced in Hollywood, saying that her agent would tell her after auctions: "You were great but they were really looking for an attractive young black woman. You need to be prettier to get the parts." But she didn't give up. "My look was not in vogue when I started. But I was never discouraged."

Speaking of her casting in Desperate Housewives, she said: "It looked like fun and [creator] Marc Cherry is a very creative and literate man. There's not a lot of people like that in TV, so when you see them you flock to them."

Meanwhile co-executive producer Kevin Murphy spoke to TV Guide about the role Woodard's character. "Like our other housewives, she's a mother who's willing to go to extreme means to protect her family," he said. "Alfre will be central to the prevailing mystery of next season." At the time of speaking to the site, Murphy said they were also trying to cast the character's son and "if we can find that fantastic star on the rise, we'll grab him." This role has now gone to Mehcad Brooks, as exclusively reported by Get Desperate! yesterday (story).

The original Savannah Morning News article can be found here, and TV Guide's article (which contains spoilers for many TV shows) can be found here.

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