Karl Mayer

Karl Mayer is a fictional character played by actor Richard Burgi and created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. He is the ex-husband of one of the titular characters, housewife Susan Mayer (played by Teri Hatcher), and the father of Julie Mayer (played by Andrea Bowen), as well as a successful practitioner of family law. The character is also romantically involved in the series with two other major housewives: Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) and Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross).

Development and casting

According to Cherry, casting the role of Karl was difficult because he "wanted a guy that was nice looking and seemed like he would have been married to Teri, but was also someone you wouldn't like." The character was portrayed by another actor in a series of non-speaking flashbacks in the pilot episode, but the role was recast once the direction of the character changed. After making some guest appearances during the first season, Burgi joined the regular cast in the second season. However, he returned to his guest starring status from the third season until his character's death halfway through the sixth season.

Karl Mayer (poet)

Karl Friedrich Hartmann Mayer (22 March 1786, Bischofsheim – 25 February 1870, Tübingen) was a German jurist and poet of the Swabian school of poets, the circle of Justinus Kerner and the Serach poets' circle under count Alexander von Württemberg (1801–1844). His younger brother Louis Mayer was a landscape painter.

List of Desperate Housewives characters

Desperate Housewives is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong). Specifically, the series follows four protagonists and Mary Alice's friends, Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria). Desperate Housewives features an ensemble cast, which also includes the women's husbands, children, love interests, neighbors, and other acquaintances.

Main characters

The following are characters whose portrayer received "Starring" billing at any point of the series. They are sorted in the order in which they were introduced to the main cast, and not by episode count, screen time or popularity.

Susan Mayer

Lynette Scavo

Bree Van de Kamp

Gabrielle Solis

Edie Britt

Mike Delfino

Rex Van de Kamp

Carlos Solis

Paul Young