Marcia Cross

media release: Best known as Bree Van De Kamp in the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning ABC hit series ”Desperate Housewives,” actress and activist Marcia Cross will share her story in a moderated Q&A hosted by the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee. The event will take place Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in Shannon Hall at Memorial Union.

The event, titled “An Evening With Marcia Cross,” will feature a 90-minute moderated Q&A, including a segment with audience-submitted questions. Admission is free and open to both University of Wisconsin–Madison students and the public. No tickets are needed. The WUD DLS Committee will provide live captioning during the event.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Cross began her acting career with appearances on daytime soap operas, including “The Edge of Night” and “One Life to Live,” before earning wider recognition for her roles in primetime dramas “Knots Landing” and “Melrose Place.” Cross then went on to portray Bree Van De Kamp, a perfectionistic homemaker, on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.” Cross became one of the series’s most recognizable stars throughout the show’s eight-season run.

In 2018, Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer, an experience that inspired her work as an advocate for more open conversations about health, cancer and HPV. Since her diagnosis and recovery, she has used her platform as a well-known actress to help break down stigma surrounding anal cancer and HPV infection and risk, encouraging people to approach these subjects with greater openness. 

The WUD DLS Committee brings engaging and influential people to the UW–Madison campus to encourage thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 12 committees and six Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events each year. Community members can learn more about the upcoming free talk featuring Cross here.