Jesse Metcalfe reveals he was fired from 'Desperate Housewives' after Season 1

The actor played teenage gardener, John Rowland, on the ABC series which ran for eight seasons from 2004 until 2012.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 12:55am

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Jesse Metcalfe, who starred as hunky gardener John Rowland in Season 1 of the ABC series 'Desperate Housewives', revealed that he was fired from the show after the first season. Metcalfe said the show's creator, Marc Cherry, told him 'This isn't Desperate House Gardeners, This is Desperate Housewives, so unfortunately you're not going to be a series regular moving forward on the show.' After being let go, Metcalfe was brought back as an intermittent guest star in several of the following seasons.

Why it matters

Metcalfe's performance as the steamy young gardener quickly catapulted the celebrity to heartthrob status and earned him three Teen Choice Award nominations in 2005. However, Metcalfe later revealed that being a 'sex symbol' brought a lot of pressure to stay in shape, as he had to keep his shirt off in every episode of 'Housewives'.

The details

In the show, Metcalfe, now 47, portrayed a teen who was having an affair with Eva Longoria's character, Gabrielle Solis. After the first season, the show's creator, Marc Cherry, told Metcalfe that 'This isn't Desperate House Gardeners, This is Desperate Housewives, so unfortunately you're not going to be a series regular moving forward on the show.' At the time, Metcalfe had been offered the lead role in the movie 'John Tucker Must Die', so he was 'just kind of riding the wave' of his newfound fame.

  • The ABC drama 'Desperate Housewives' ran for eight seasons from 2004 until 2012.
  • Metcalfe was fired from the show after the first season.

The players

Jesse Metcalfe

An actor who played the role of teenage gardener, John Rowland, on the ABC series 'Desperate Housewives' in Season 1.

Marc Cherry

The creator of the ABC series 'Desperate Housewives'.

Eva Longoria

An actress who played the character of Gabrielle Solis, who had an affair with Metcalfe's character, on 'Desperate Housewives'.

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What they’re saying

“After the first season they didn't really know where else to take my storyline,”

— Jesse Metcalfe (Not Skinny But Not Fat)

“This isn't Desperate House Gardeners, This is Desperate Housewives, so unfortunately you're not going to be a series regular moving forward on the show,”

— Marc Cherry, Creator, Desperate Housewives (Not Skinny But Not Fat)

The takeaway

Metcalfe's breakout role on 'Desperate Housewives' as a heartthrob teen gardener led to immense fame and pressure to maintain his physique, highlighting the challenges actors can face when thrust into the spotlight as sex symbols through their on-screen roles.