See Also: Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo) People Guide

The media often like to sensationalize rumors about the actresses of Desperate Housewives having an eating disorder, but for Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo) it was once a devastating reality.

"I was bulimic and anorexic for a while, just hating my body," Huffman told USA TODAY. "As an actress, I was never thin enough, never pretty enough. My boobs weren't big enough." Huffman said it was a problem on and off into her 20s. "I was throwing up all the time—figuring out what foods you can throw up and what foods you can't," she admitted.

The bulimia turned into anorexia, and at one point she weighed just 98lbs (44kg). But meeting her future husband William H. Macy helped her overcome her problems. "I've heard from her that the biggest help I was is that I just adore her and think she's the sexiest woman," he said. "The first time I met Felicity Huffman, all I could think was 'yum, yum.' She was delicious. I love her body, and I always have. And if I liked it, maybe it was good enough for her, too."

Now an Emmy-award winner tipped for Oscar success, Huffman said she is finally happy with her body. "I think I've always had a 40-year-old body, and now that I'm actually there I'm like, 'Hey, pretty good, huh?'" But she did open the door to her past recently, and explained that the emotions she felt where useful when starring as the transexual Bree in Transamerica. "The self-loathing that goes along with bulimia or anorexia helped me understand Bree's internal journey," Huffman said. "I didn't think I could do it. It was a huge undertaking, and there was a long way to fall."

Meanwhile, Marc Cherry also spoke to USA TODAY. Praising Huffman, he revealed that she will have another chance to stretch her acting muscles next season. "Something life-changing will happen to the [Scavo] family," he said.

For the full interview, where Huffman's friends talk about how they helped her prepare for her role in Transamerica, visit USA TODAY.

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