Marcia Cross Has Never Been Happier

Marcia Cross recently invited Will Keck from USA Today's Celebwatch to visit her and her daughters Eden and Savannah at her home in Santa Monica.

The busy actress is enjoying the extra time that the current writers strike is allowing her to spend with her 10-month-old girls.

Although she has been credited as a role model for women hoping to have children in their 40's having conceived via in vitro fertilization, Marcia has taken a realistic view of her position. She advises women to "have your children as young as you can and don't be fooled by (older) women having babies, because it's very expensive and (requires) a lot of needles and shots."

Despite her joy at getting to experience life as a mother, Cross admits that she is saddened by the realization that she may not enjoy the same amount of time as her own parents (now in their 70's) with her own children. "I wish I were younger," she says. "We're all in denial here, especially in L.A., and we want to pretend that we're not in the middle of our lives. There's not that much time left. … In 20 years, I'm going to be in my late 60s and they're going to be 20. I hate that I'm not going to be there for my kids forever."

With the thought of cherishing the family memories in mind, Cross created the Legacy Keeper ($50 at Hallmark Gold Crown stores), which allows families to record memories and organize mementos (watch the video at CelebWatch to see all the features).

Cross, who has a Masters degree in psychology that she earned after her time one Melrose Place, hopes to point her daughters away from the bright lights of Hollywood. "I'd like for them to be scientists or painters," she says. "I don't want them to spend as much time having to think about their looks as I have. I want them to be free of that."

Living in Hollywood is a bit of a challenge - espcially with twins - which seems to double the allure to the paparazzi. "I just ignore them for the most part, because the more you get involved with them, the worse it is. It's sometimes worse for the people around me. If you're at a children's park and people are taking pictures, people automatically think it's pedophilia or some creepy people. Of course, if (paparazzi) get too close, I tell them I will kill them."


When the strike ends, there are big plans for her Desperate Housewives character Bree who will head back to work. While the other housewives have used the break from the show to shoot films, Cross is only now auditioning for movie roles.

"More than anything, the creation I wanted in the world was my family," she says. "I really wanted to be with Tom, get married and have my babies. And I have that now. I've never been happier in my whole life."

There may be more babies in her future -- although she does admit that she has no plans to be pregnant again.

"If somebody handed me a couple of boys, I'd be like, 'All right, c'mon.' I'm not ready to throw out all the baby stuff just yet."

Visit CelebWatch for the whole article and a video inside Marcia's gorgeous Santa Monica home.