Where are all the child actors from Desperate Housewives now?

The eldest daughter of Carlos (Ricardo S. Chavira) and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), Madison De La Garza was around six years old when she started playing Juanita in season five of the show (2008–2012). Already one to watch thanks to her famous half-sister Demi Lovato, she went on to appear in Demi’s YouTube documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil (2021), and has since swapped acting for working behind the scenes, directing films like Surprise (2023).

Madison has spoken up about the cyberbullying she experienced on the show, telling the Heart of the Matter podcast that reactions to her character were “just shocking”. The actress also shared that she had a special bond with her on-screen mother, and that Eva “went out of her way to make me feel like I was pretty and special” on set.

Susan Mayer’s (Teri Hatcher) eldest daughter with her first husband, Julie Mayer appeared throughout the show’s entire run, becoming best known as the grounded foil to her hopeless romantic mother. A Broadway veteran prior to her time in Wisteria Lane, actress Andrea Bowen has since gone on to guest star on shows like Scandal (2013) and Station 19 (2021).

Andrea is married to her fellow Desperate Housewives co-star Josh Zuckerman, who played Eddie Orlosfky, and the couple welcomed their daughter in January 2026. She also co-hosts the Desperately Devoted rewatch podcast alongside Teri and her real-life daughter, Emerson Tenney.

The eldest son of Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) and her first husband Rex (Steven Culp), Shawn had a notoriously rocky relationship with his perfectionist mother. Actor Shawn Pyfrom left the main cast of show after season five to pursue other opportunities, but he returned to Wisteria Lane for frequent guest appearances.

Shawn has since guest starred in shows like The Rookie (2022) and made his directorial debut with EZK: Beyond the Walls in 2019. "I still love acting, but there's a lot that comes into play more than just what you want to be doing – most of it's out of your hands," he previously told NBC Miami, sharing that he also loves to paint and travel.

Andrew’s younger sister Danielle was played by 14-year-old Joy Lauren during the show’s first season, with the actress having already starred in several episodes of The Division (2002). Joy received several award nominations for her role as Danielle, including the Young Artist Award for best supporting actress in a comedy series.

Joy is now an acclaimed director, having founded Killjoy Films and worked on numerous independent flicks. Speaking to TV Guide in 2011 about Bree and Danielle’s chaotic relationship, Joy shared that she’s super close with her own mother in real life, and that she's “very supportive of me in every sense”.

Joining season four of the show at just five years old, Mason Vale Cotton portrayed MJ Delfino, Susan’s son with her second husband Mike Delfino (James Denton). Mason went from strength to strength after the show, garnering further acclaim for his role as Bobby Draper in Mad Men (2012–2015) and earning multiple awards for voicing the lead in Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie (2017).

Mason is still acting, with an upcoming film titled The Bench in the works; fans are also in disbelief that the former child star recently graduated from college, per his Instagram, with one commenting “MJ is that you?”

After being discovered by a talent agent at a baseball game, Brent and Shane Kinsman went on to portray the Lynette Scavo’s twin sons in the first four seasons of the show, later being replaced by Charlie and Max Carver. The twins were also known for their roles as Kyle and Nigel Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and its 2005 sequel, stepping away from Hollywood shortly after to prioritise their education.

The brothers told ReVamp Magazine in 2021 that they’d recently graduated from college and were planning a return to acting following positive experiences as child stars. “We were surrounded by the right people,” they told The Jim Masters Show in 2022. “Not even just our family and friends, but the whole cast and crew of Desperate Housewives had our best interests in mind”.

Making his TV debut at seven years old, actor Zane Huett played the role of Parker Scavo until season five’s time jump, going on to appear in an episode of Big Love (2009) and starring in Dear Lemon Lima that same year.

Zane appears to have left the Hollywood spotlight behind, but was previously an ambassador for Starlight Children's Foundation and spoke to acting students at the New York Film Academy in 2014 about his time as a child star.

Gabrielle and Carlos’ youngest daughter, Celia was born during the time jump and was the loyal and observant foil to her spirited older sister. Actress Daniella Baltodano starred in the show until its final season, and went on to appear in season five of Shameless (2014) as Denise.

Daniella appears to live a quieter live away from Hollywood now, but previously shared some Wisteria Lane throwbacks on her X account, including this photobooth moment with Madison and Mason.

Taking over the role of Penny Scavo from Kendall Applegate, Darcy Rose Byrnes came to Desperate Housewives with a wealth of experience, including her role as Abby Newman on the hit soap opera The Young and the Restless (2003–2008). The actress previously gushed on the Let’s Talk About That podcast about working with “cream of the crop” actors on the show, adding that “the projects that I've done have been connected to people who are really, really talented”.

Darcy recently appeared in several episodes of the Disney series Big Shot (2021–2022) alongside John Stamos, though is shown to have an affinity for theatre, per her Instagram, even writing her own play titled Juliet Hereafter.