Jesse Metcalfe has nothing but fond memories of Wisteria Lane.
Nearly 20 years after Desperate Housewives premiered, the show’s hunky gardener reflected on filming a special series with his on-screen lover, Eva Longoria.
“I had an incredible experience on that show,” Metcalfe, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly at the boohoo Collective Launch Party on Thursday, August 29. “Not only did that make my career, not only was that really my big break, but I had an absolute blast working with Eva Longoria. All we did was laugh our way through all those awkward sex scenes.”
When the show premiered on ABC in October 2004, Metcalfe played John Rowland, a neighborhood gardener who struck up an affair with bored housewife Gabby Solis (Longoria, 49).
While their romantic relationship was cut short at the end of the season after John told Gabby’s husband about the betrayal, many fans will remember the pair’s chemistry and the tactics they used to keep their love affair a secret from the neighborhood.
“That’s pretty tame by today’s standards, with the shows like Euphoria,” Metcalfe said when looking back on Desperate Housewives’ sex scenes. “I’m super proud to have been a part of that show. It will definitely go down in television history as an iconic show.”
Desperate Housewives eventually wrapped in May 2012 after eight seasons, and the actor still finds himself making fitness a priority in his life. After all, you never know when a shirtless role will come.
Whether playing sports like tennis and golf or heading to the gym to box or lift weights, Metcalfe said he loves the endorphins that come with breaking a sweat.
“I feel a little bit of pressure to maintain a certain aesthetic considering a lot of the roles I played, my more iconic roles, were characters that had great physiques,” he explained. “I’m a really kind of physical, active guy.”
Looking ahead, Metcalfe is excited to star in a new horror film called The Possession at Gladstone Manor. He also remains hopeful that a John Tucker Must Die sequel will become a reality.
“I would love to see this sequel get green-lit,” he told Us at Hyde Sunset in West Hollywood. “A script does exist. I have read said script. … I definitely think that there’s an appetite for a John Tucker Must Die 2. I think it would do well on a platform like Netflix. So fingers crossed that it gets made. If there’s no traction in the coming months, maybe I’ll try to take matters into my own hands.”
