PC Exclusive: Desperate Housewives' Kathryn Joosten Talks Ageism on Madison Ave., Hosting ACME Saturday Night and Romance For Wisteria Lane's Nosiest Neighbor

I briefly caught up with the actress, who since 2005 has portrayed Wisteria Lane's nosiest neighbor, Karen McCluskey, as she was preparing to host ACME Saturday Night this weekend at the ACME Comedy Theatre in Hollywood (135 N. La Brea Ave Hollywood, CA 90036). In just five, quick questions the outspoken TV star, who began her  career at 40 and didn't land her breakout role as President Bartlett's secretary on the NBC drama The West Wing until she was in her 60's, sounded off on everything from enjoying doing comedy as much as the audience does watching it, to ageism in Hollywood and how her battle with lung cancer caused her to seek out therapy. You can bet I'll be talking to this courageous, fiery spirit again!

Pop Confidential: Fans of Desperate Housewives are already well aware of the fact that you know your way around a funny line. Are you nervous about doing comedy live when you host ACME Saturday Night this weekend?

Kathryn Joosten: No, not at all. I get as much fun out of doing comedy as the audience hopefully does out of watching. And then I found out they would be using teleprompter so I wouldn't have to worry about memorizing four sketches. Besides, when the mood strikes, I just start improvising.

PC: What kind of sketches will you be doing? Will any of them spoof Desperate Housewives?

KJ: Now that would be telling. I'm sure some kind of mention of DH will come up.

PC: You didn't begin your acting career until you were in your 40's, and found your biggest success in your 60's, first as President Bartlett's secretary Delores on The West Wing, and then in your current, scene-stealing role as nosy-but-protective neighbor Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives. What does your success and popularity say about Madison Avenue's obsession with the 18-49 demo?

KJ: That should be obvious, but unfortunately, even with Betty White cleaning up on all the shows, Madison Avenue still sees older actors as something that has to be put up with. Each show still tries to add "youth characters" to attract that demo, who would much rather be out somewhere and not in watching TV. Writers rarely treat older characters on their shows with any kind of dignity and the jokes and gag lines all have to do with sex, pills or aches and pains. I think the writers are as much to blame as Madison Avenue. What was the last show you watched that treated the elderly as real people with real relationships? The Waltons?

PC: You've battled lung cancer twice since 2001, and are now cancer-free How has beating cancer changed you as a person? As a performer?

KJ: You got to be kidding? How about asking my philosophy of life in three sentences? I could give you all sorts of feel good stuff about "living my life" and appreciating each day and that kind of crap. Truth is I've had to see a therapist to deal with the idea of impending death. I have become extremely active in lung cancer advocacy issues and I'll talk your arm off about the stigma, the inequities in funding for research and treatment, but then I can't even get cancer awareness groups like Stand Up To Cancer to include anything about lung cancer in their materials. As a performer? No difference.

PC: Karen has managed to find love again late-in-life on Desperate Housewives. What's it like working with Orson Bean, who plays Karen's fiance Roy?

KJ: Orson is as much fun off camera as on and we have a ball. I just wish they would let us do stuff that wasn't always "age-oriented".

PC: What's in store for Karen and Roy when Desperate Housewives returns this Fall?

KJ: I have no idea. I'm not told what is going to happen and I don't see the scripts until the table read, if then. I just go to work, do the work and go home.

Check out Kathryn Joosten hosting ACME Saturday Night this Saturday, June 25. Not in SoCal? Watch the show live by clicking here.

Photo by PR Photos