Veteran actress Marcia Cross (“Desperate Housewives”) chatted about starring in the Off-Broadway production of “Pen Pals.” She is playing the role of Mags opposite Catherine Curtin, who is playing Bernie.
Track and field legend Wilma Rudolph once said: “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” This quote applies to Marcia Cross.
“Pen Pals” was written by Michael Griffo and directed by SuzAnne Barabas. It features a rotating cast of actresses, and it celebrates the power of friendship through handwritten letters that were exchanged over five decades.
The show is a celebration of the endearing power of friendship, longevity, and connection through handwritten letters over the span of five decades.
‘Pen Pals’ experience
On being a part of “Pen Pals,” Cross said, “It’s just a thousand times bigger than I thought it would be. I wasn’t expecting it to be so incredible, to tell you the truth.”
“I was kind of mild until I read it out loud and then with Catherine and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is just a gorgeous piece.’ I mean, I knew it was a beautiful piece, that’s why I said ‘yes’ to doing it, but it is just a million times more beautiful than I even imagined,” she elaborated.
“What is so interesting, of course, is their friendship throughout the generations. It’s not just them changing, it’s the world changing, and I think it is so important,” Cross acknowledged.
Playing Mags in ‘Pen Pals’
On portraying Mags in “Pen Pals,” she said, “The one thing I love about Mag’s is that she is so imperfect. Mags is a really interesting and flawed character, while Bernie is kind of the salt of the earth. I just found that interesting.”
Working with Catherine Curtin as her acting partner
On working with veteran actress Catherine Curtin in this show, Cross exclaimed, “Catherine is incredible! I would like her to be my pen pal for the next 60 years. I wish we are going to be alive that long, because she is just wonderful!”
“Catherine is an incredible human being, and she is an amazing talent,” Cross said.
Lessons learned from the ‘Pen Pals’ script
On the lessons learned from this show, Cross reflected, “I think it’s a profound thing, actually, to have lived a long time, and then to have had all these relationships.”
“Not each tragedy, but I’ve lived through a lot of things, and I’m not alone. We’ve all had losses of parents, and losses of health, and all of these things that are mentioned in the play,” she said.
“This is a universal life journey where there’s highs and lows… the youth, the innocence of youth, our dreams, and then what actually happens, and how we deal with all that,” she explained.
“I feel I rode all that. I’ve taken that ride along with Catherine and most of the people in the audience. So, it’s a very beautiful piece,” she elaborated.
“I feel like very much like I’m not acting it. At times, it feels like life is imitating art. This is a piece about love, life, and friendship,” she added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are so prevalent, Cross said with a sweet laugh, “I’m a little slow. I really don’t work my social media very well.”
“I know a couple of things to do, but so much of it passes me by. I think it’s not necessarily intuitive to everybody my age,” she said.
“I’ve certainly spoken out about things that upset me, but I don’t know exactly how to do videos or make my own content. I’m a little bit of a weak-walled dinosaur,” she added.
Advice for young and emerging actors and storytellers
For young and aspiring actors and storytellers, Cross said, “First of all, in this digital age, the great thing is that the world has changed so much that you can go out and do anything with your phone in your hand. That’s just brilliant.”
“Now, everybody can do everything and make art… directing, writing, producing. All of these beautiful avenues have opened up. So, that the good news about technology,” she noted.
“The bad news is that there probably aren’t many pen pals anymore, I guess they would have to be e-mail pals or something,” she added.
‘Desperate Housewives’ experience
On being a part of the hit TV series “Desperate Housewives,” she said, “‘Desperate Housewives’ was just a joy from the beginning to end. It was the dream job of a lifetime. Now, I am doing the work that I have always wanted to do.”
“I’ve done some plays lately because I started in theater and that’s very important to me,” she said. “I feel I got the beauty of doing such a great series, and now, I can actually afford to do Broadway theatre.”
“Back then, you had to work week to week because there were none of these streaming services,’ she said. “Now, you have new generation streaming. I have young people who come to me all the time, and it’s just a beautiful thing.”
“I have an affinity because I played the mother of a gay son and for a lot of gay people, that’s the first time they realized who they were. A guy literally just said that to me last night,” she said.
“That just blows my mind, and I just love it,” she admitted.
Award wins, recognition, and critical acclaim
For her acting work in “Desperate Housewives,” she earned three Golden Globe nominations, an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” and two SAG (Screen Actors Guild Award) wins.
“That was just the most delicious ride. It was a beautiful ride in every way, and I loved that job. I loved those people I worked with, and I’m eternally grateful,” she admitted.
“I’m so happy to play the mother of a gay son that people come to see all these years later,” she said. “It was such a gift!”
Jesse Metcalfe
Cross had great words about actor Jesse Metcalfe, who was a part of the “Desperate Housewives” cast with her.
“Jesse is great,” she exclaimed. “First of all, Jesse blew me away because two years ago when I did a play here in New York, and he came to see me in it. I will never forget that. Jesse always won my heart.”
“Jesse is a great looking and sweet guy, and he was a class act to see me in the play,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Cross revealed, “It’s My Turn.”
“Now, I’m excited to go out and work again, because it’s who I am,” she said.
Superpower of choice
Her superpower of choice would be “empathy.”
Remembering Diane Keaton
Cross fondly remembered the late but great Diane Keaton, who passed away last month at the age of 79.
“Diane Keaton was a really incredible actress,” Cross said. “Everybody was secretly in love with her but nobody really talked about it until she passed away.”
“The way Diane would open her heart in every movie and let you in was so impressive. Diane would reveal a part of her soul in every role,” Cross added.
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, she shared, “Living with integrity and then, touching other people’s lives with kindness.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Pen Pals’
For fans and viewers, she expressed about “Pen Pals,” “I want people to know how important it is to take that ride in life with another human being, as well as to love and forgive; that’s what friendship really is.”
“There’s a great poet, David White, who says that a friend is someone who forgives you for everything that’s not important, and that loves you for the bigger picture. That’s a beautiful thing. A friend is really someone who you should really take this journey with,” she acknowledged.
“A friend is who you call when you get the job or who you call when you get the award. If you’re just you on your own, that doesn’t quite do it. For me, I need that community. It truly takes a village, and that’s so important,” she concluded.
To learn more about acclaimed actress Marcia Cross, follow her on Instagram.
To learn more about the Off-Broadway show “Pen Pals,” check out the official homepage.
Read More: “Pen Pals” review starring Catherine Curtin and Marcia Cross.
