Marcia Cross on age, beauty and the freedom to be herself — for L’Officiel Monaco
«I don’t want to prove anything to anyone anymore»
American actress Marcia Cross is the cover star of the September issue of L’Officiel Monaco. The 64-year-old «Desperate Housewives» star gave an open and candid interview in which she spoke about aging, her appearance and her most famous roles.
For the shoot, Cross wore couture looks by Dany Atrache, Charbel Karam and Abbas Harajli, choosing a striking Lena Erziak dress for the cover.
Titled «Marcia Cross: An American Icon in Paris», the shoot took place inside the legendary 19th-century Parisian mansion Hôtel de la Païva. The photographs were taken by Greg Alexander.
One of the central topics of the conversation was Bree Van de Kamp — her character from «Desperate Housewives», who tried to build a perfect life while hiding her own struggles and vulnerability behind an immaculate facade. According to Cross, it was precisely this contradiction that made Bree relatable to so many women.
«Perfectionists understood her and felt seen. Women who were desperately trying to create the impression that they had everything under control could also identify with her. Women who hid their secrets and vulnerabilities understood her, too», the actress said.
Following the success of «Desperate Housewives», Cross faced a problem familiar to many stars of iconic television shows: audiences and the industry became closely associated with her most famous characters.
«I was told twice that I was too iconic to play other roles and that I needed to prove to the people making the decisions that I was capable of doing so», Cross recalled.
Eventually, the actress decided to step away from that race. She admitted that she had grown tired of constantly having to prove who she really was beyond her best-known characters.
«I finally stopped worrying about having to first prove that I wasn’t crazy Kimberly, and then that I wasn’t perfect Bree», she said, referring to her iconic characters. «I don’t want to prove anything to anyone anymore. Those days are long gone», she added.
In another part of the interview, Marcia Cross spoke candidly about aging and her relationship with her appearance. The actress emphasized that every woman should be free to decide how she wants to look and whether cosmetic treatments or plastic surgery are right for her. In her view, such choices should not become a subject of public scrutiny.
Cross does not rule out turning to plastic surgery someday, but for now, preserving her individuality is more important to her.
«What really matters to me is continuing to look like me. I see my mother and my father in my face, and I don’t want to lose that. This face carries my history. I want to look like me», the actress said.
At the same time, Cross admitted that she was much harder on herself when she was younger. Now, when she looks back at old photographs, she wonders why she was unable to see her own beauty at the time.
«Now, looking back, I look at the photographs and think, “God, I was beautiful.” But at the time, I could never see it», she recalled.
As for her personal style, Cross revealed that she avoids white, black and prints, and most often wears navy blue, cotton T-shirts and the same pairs of jeans. At the same time, she dreams of a special capsule collection designed for red-haired women with sensitive skin.
Photo: L’Officiel Monaco
