Interview: Andrea Bowen on her return to “Desperate Housewives” and the departure of Shawn Pyfrom

I’m so glad to see that Andrea Bowen is returning to Desperate Housewives this season as a regular. Her character of Julie Mayer only made one guest appearance last season and was missed – especially because it is Julie who seems to understand her mother Susan (Teri Hatcher) best.

I chatted with Andrea about her return on Saturday at an ABC party on the final day of the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I come back and [my character] has definitely changed a lot and I have some secrets of my own now. It’s Housewives, there’s always some fun brewing underneath the surface.”

“I walked into the first table read at [Marc Cherry’s] house and it felt so good, it felt like coming home and it was so good to get back in the groove of everything. I think I’m looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes. When you have that time to go away, you bring something new back to it and I think that’s exciting. Julie is in her mid-20s now – older than me! I have a lot to play with this season.”

Andrea’s character, however, will not be running into Andrew Van de Kamp much on Wisteria Lane since the actor who has played him since the first episode, Shawn Pyfrom, is no longer a regular on the series but will likely turn up for a few guest spots. Andrew was once the most high-profile gay teen on television but had appeared less and less in recent seasons.

“Personally, it’s sad for me because I love Shawn to death and I loved him being around,” she said. “I still see him, I just saw him last weekend. But he’s a great character and great to have on the show and I think people will miss him. But I always say, ‘It’s Desperate Housewives, no one leaves forever.’ We all come back and there’s always flashbacks. Even when you’re dead, you’re not gone. I’m sure he’ll be back in the future. We’re a big family.”

“He’s really a very gifted actor and really smart and I’m sure he’ll be absolutely fine,” Andrew added. “He gets the chance to work on other things which is great and I say that as someone who’s done it. It’s fun.”