J. EMILIO FLORES / CORBIS

FROM THE TIME ARCHIVE Queer Eye for Straight TV They're gay. But these writers are producing some of today's most compelling, and popular, series about heterosexuals [3/14/2005]

Marc is a wolf in sheep's clothing. That, to me, is the most exciting combo. The exterior is kind, humble and happy-go-lucky. The interior is sweet as well, but with a penchant for wicked social commentary, a solid belief in his abilities (which are formidable) and a keen commitment to seeing his vision on the screen.

Marc works 24/7. The joke around the set is that they have to pry the pages out of his hands and rush them to the camera. It's nearly true. Of course, this is a recipe for a hit show: an exhausted creator who micromanages everything.

In Desperate Housewives Marc takes on a great icon, the American family. It's an institution not to be trifled with. He holds it up with reverence and love and then pokes fun at it. He lets us see its cracks and foibles without tearing it apart in hate and condemnation.

Here is something America doesn't know: Marc can act. As he watches scenes being shot, he will try to explain to the comedically challenged (me) how to land a moment. Finally he has to act it, and (annoyingly) it's hysterical. The guy could make the tax codes funny.

Last but not least, he loves his mother—in an adult, straightforward, I-am-a-grown-man kind of way. I have two young children, and I so appreciate that Marc loves Martha Cherry. I admire him for it. And I envy her; she has such a wonderful, delightful, talented son.

Huffman plays wife and mother Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives

Nov. 27, 1989	Feb. 8, 1999	May 19, 1980
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