Roger Bart, reflecting on his role in “Desperate Housewives,” expressed his enduring affection for the show despite initial worries about typecasting.
Speaking at the Tony Awards Meet the Nominees junket, he shared how he thought his career might suffer after playing George Williams, a character involved in a significant storyline on the popular ABC series.
According to Bart, his “favorite and most terrifying” moment on Desperate Housewives was when they filmed his character’s death scene.
“I asked the director, ‘You think I’m ever going to work again after this?’ Because I was realizing, just by walking through airports, this is impactful,” he said.
Roger Bart, nominated for his performance as Doc Brown in “Back to the Future: The Musical,” reflected on his past role in “Desperate Housewives.”
He mentioned the director’s comparison of his character to Gilligan from “Gilligan’s Island” and how he continued to receive reactions even after his character’s storyline concluded.
“I was walking through an airport and the amount of attention I got for it, because back then everyone tuned in at 9:00 on a Sunday, it was like 23 million people, it was crazy,” he explained. “… It was really something.”
Bart also recalled going on The View at the time, stating,
“I remember the ladies going, ‘So you are dead?’ And I said, ‘I am.’ That was literally the only reason I was on The View. It was so funny.”
Reflecting on when he first got the role of Williams, Bart said,
“I had kind of no idea what it was going to be.”
“Matter of fact, I even shot my first scenes just thinking I was sort of like this druggist, and then, Mark Cherry, who created the show, came to our little trailer area and goes, ‘Do you want to know what we have planned for the character?’ ” he continued.
“I said, ‘Well, yeah. Unless it hurts me,’ and he said, ‘Well, you’re going to be a sociopath stalker.’ So I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be really fun,” Bart added.
The Tony Award winner said his scandalous role “did not disappoint,” noting, “It put me in such incredible situations.”
“With that show, I can go anywhere in the world [and be recognized]. I’ve gone to some crazy places, but that show will be the one where someone walking across the bridge will say, ‘Are you?’ ” Bart explained. “It is great to have been a part of that.”
Looking ahead to the idea of potentially reviving Desperate Housewives in the future, Bart said,
“I feel like the ladies might be up for it.”
“And God forbid that they ever say The Men of Desperate Housewives: The Series, because that would be a travesty,” he added. “I don’t really know. It’s kind of a funny idea. I don’t know.”
The 2024 Tony Awards are set for Sunday, June 16th, at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in NYC.
You can catch the show on CBS and Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. EST, with some awards presented during a preshow on Pluto TV. Plus, tickets for “Back to the Future: The Musical” are now available!
