Marcia Cross Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Marcia Cross is best known for playing Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, but the actress has also been on shows such as Melrose Place, Knots Landing, and Quantico. She got her start on soaps.

Along with her television career, Cross has also appeared in both television films and features. From where she was born and raised to her recent cancer fight, here are five fast facts about the actress.

Who Is Marcia Cross?

Cross was born on March 25 in Marlborough, Massachusetts and is one of three daughters. She attended Marlborough High School and was then accepted to Juilliard in New York. She graduated with her B.F.A. in Acting.

Soap Beginnings
While in New York, Cross started getting various roles on now-defunct soaps. She played Liz Corell on Edge of Night, Tanya on Another World, but she really made her mark when she was cast on the ABC’s One Life to Live, as Kate Sanders. She then moved to Los Angeles where she guest-starred on shows like Cheers, Knots Landing, and Who’s the Boss?

Back to School
Cross was cast as Dr. Kimberly Shaw on the hit Fox show Melrose Place, but she decided to leave the series after the fifth season. She actually left the show so she could return to school and get her master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. She appeared on shows during this time but not in a leading role.

Cancer Fight

Cross was diagnosed with anal cancer in November 2017 during a checkup with her gynecologist. She underwent six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and she went public with her diagnosis. She is now in remission and has a low chance of the cancer returning.

Getting Personal With Marcia Cross
Cross was the long-time partner of Richard Jordan, who passed away from a brain tumor in 1993. She then married stockbroker Tom Mahoney in 2006 and welcomed their fraternal twin daughters Eden and Savannah in February 2007.