Teri Lynn Hatcher was born in Palo Alto, California, USA on December 8, 1964, as the only child of Owen and Esther Hatcher, and grew up in nearby Sunnyvale, California. Her father is a nuclear physicist and her mother is a computer programmer. She spent her childhood dancing and fishing with her father. While at Fremont High School, she was captain of the Featherettes, a dance team which had the look of regular cheerleaders, with the exception of the large head dresses they would wear. She was voted "Most Likely to Become a Solid Gold Dancer" by her graduating class in 1982. Hatcher studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco while taking a degree course in mathematics and engineering at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. She became a member of the 1984 Gold Rush, the name of the professional cheer leading squad of the American football San Francisco 49ers.

Hatcher went to Hollywood to lend moral support to a friend during a open casting call. She, however, auditioned and won the role of the singing and dancing mermaid for the television series, The Love Boat. She went on to play Penny Parker, a ditsy but sweet-hearted struggling actress in MacGyver. When that show ended, she auditioned for and won the role of smart and savvy Lois in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, saying that she didn't want to be stuck with the pretty airhead image she had acquired as Penny.

She married actor Jon Tenney in May 1994. She gave birth to daughter Emerson Rose Tenney on November 10, 1997. Later, she signed to play Sally Bowles in the road tour of Cabaret. The tour debuted in Los Angeles on March 2, 1999. Her final show was on September 4, 1999. She stayed out of the industry for a little bit before nabbing a role on the darkly, comedic soap opera Desperate Housewives, which could have been a huge mistake. The show turned out to be a mega hit, which skyrocketed Hatcher to the A-list. Her portrayal of a divorced mother, Susan Mayer, was consistently named as America's favorite Desperate Housewife. Hatcher won both a Golden Globe for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and the SAG Award for Female Actor in a Comedy Series before the show's first season was even over.



Daughter, Emerson Rose Tenney, was born on November 10, 1997, with ex-husband Jon Tenney. Went to Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California (class of '82). Enjoys playing golf. Was a San Franciso 49ers Cheerleader. Filed for divorce from Jon Tenney, citing irreconcilable differences. According to the petition submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court, the couple have agreed to joint custody of their five-year-old daughter, Emerson Rose. [28 February 2003] Was Captain of the Fremont High School Featherettes Drill Team. Appeared in two completely different, unrelated productions in which she played a character who was targeted by assassination by a hit man played by Vincent Schiavelli: the television series "MacGyver" (1985) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). First person to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for a show that has not yet completed it's first season. Broke two ribs filming a scene for "Desperate Housewives" (2004) where she stumbles into a wedding cake Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2005. She and "Desperate Housewives" (2004) co-star Marcia Cross both made guest appearances on "Seinfeld" (1990) as prospective girlfriends of Jerry Seinfeld. Her inspirational autobiography, "Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life" will be released on hardcover by publisher Hyperion on May 2, 2006 in the U.S.A. The audio CD version of the book narrated by Teri Hatcher will also be released on the same date. The book deals with a woman's struggle of to juggle life through good times and bad. Claims that she was sexually molested by her then-uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, from age 5 to 9. [March 8, 2006] Stone died of colon cancer on August 19, 2008. Named #7 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005) Loves fishing. Has enjoyed it even before her teenage years. Ranked #6 on Wizard magazine's "Sexiest Women of TV" list (March 2008).